Incident Overview
During a prolonged descent for a straight-in landing approach, the engine of the aircraft ceased operation. The pilot promptly applied the appropriate emergency procedures but was unable to restart the engine.
Pilot's Assessment
The pilot's pre-flight planning indicated that fuel should have remained in the tanks, a fact later confirmed during the wreckage examination. The pilot expressed the belief that the engine lost power due to fuel starvation, specifically that fuel unported from the tank pickup tube during the slipped descent. He referenced a Cessna safety supplement that discusses this phenomenon.
Post-Accident Examination
A post-accident inspection of the engine revealed that no fuel was present in the gascolator. This finding aligns with the pilot's hypothesis of fuel starvation. No other anomalies were noted in the engine examination that would explain the power loss.
Conclusion
The investigation determined that the engine failure resulted from fuel starvation, consistent with the pilot's account of an unporting event during the slipped descent. No mechanical failure was identified.