Accident Details
Before departing on a cross-country flight, the airplane was 'topped off' with 40 gallons of fuel. The flight duration was 4 hours and 20 minutes (4.3 hours). Based on her flight planning, the pilot believed she had 6 hours of fuel available. During arrival at the destination, while on base leg for landing, the engine began running rough and lost power. The pilot stated she could not recall details of the accident but wrote that she went through emergency procedures, turned on the fuel pump, and switched the fuel selector valve to the other tank.
During the subsequent forced landing, the airplane struck a tree and crashed in a residential area approximately 2,000 feet short of the runway.
Fuel System Examination
The fuel selector was found positioned to the right tank, and the fuel boost pump was found in the OFF position. About 1 pint of fuel was drained from the right fuel tank, and approximately 4 gallons of fuel were drained from the left fuel tank. The total fuel capacity of the airplane was 50 gallons, of which 48 gallons were considered usable. No fuel spillage was noted at the crash site, and no breaches were found throughout the fuel system.
Engine Examination
Examination of the engine and fuel system did not reveal any discrepancies that would have resulted in loss of engine power.