Accident Details
Shortly after takeoff at night, while climbing through about 300 feet above ground level, the airplane's engine lost power. The pilot was forced to land in a grassy area on airport property. The landing was hard, resulting in a damaged wing spar.
Fuel Management
The airplane had been flown approximately 2 hours since it was last refueled. The pilot reported that he had utilized the left fuel tank for the entire 2 hours of flight and "forgot to change the fuel selector over to the right tank." According to the owner, each fuel tank had a capacity of 18 gallons, and fuel consumption was approximately 9 gallons per hour.
Post-Accident Examination
Examination of the airplane after the accident revealed that the left main fuel tank was empty and the right main fuel tank was full. Additionally, no fuel was found in the carburetor or gascolator. The owner's records indicated a Hobbs meter reading of 1345.2 hours prior to the flight and 1347.2 hours at the accident site, confirming approximately 2 hours of flight time.