Incident Overview
A pilot reported that during the approach and landing checklist, he became distracted by a sick passenger and did not select the fullest fuel tank (the right tank) nor turn on the electric fuel pump. Approximately half a mile from the runway, he applied power to arrest his descent rate but received no power response. He immediately initiated engine failure procedures but discovered the fuel starvation condition too late and at too low an altitude to accurately assess its cause and solution before executing a crash landing just off the approach end of Runway 27.
Landing and Examination
The pilot described the environment as very dark beneath the aircraft in the field. After touchdown on the soft field, the aircraft slowly tumbled over. A postaccident examination revealed no fuel remaining in the left tank, 13 gallons of fuel in the right tank, and the fuel selector was positioned to the right tank. The pilot acknowledged that he had not selected the right tank or turned on the electric fuel pump during the checklist due to the distraction.
Findings
The investigation found that fuel starvation resulted from the pilot's failure to properly configure the fuel system. The pilot stated that he was distracted by a sick passenger and therefore did not select the fullest fuel tank and activate the electric fuel pump. The subsequent loss of engine power led to a forced landing short of the runway.