Incident and Recovery
During final approach to the runway, the airplane's engine lost power. The pilot performed a forced landing, resulting in the aircraft landing in a river approximately 2.5 miles from the runway. The recovery crew later retrieved the airplane from the river.
Fuel System Findings
The recovery crew reported that they drained no fuel from the airplane's fuel tanks; the only fluid found in the tanks was river water. Upon lifting the airplane from the river, it was observed that the left wing fuel cap was missing. The fuel selector valve was found positioned to the left wing tank.
Preflight Inspection Accounts
The pilot-in-command stated that he checked the fuel caps and fuel level during the preflight inspection. In contrast, the copilot indicated that the fuel level and caps were not adequately checked during the preflight because no equipment was available to reach the top of the aircraft wing.
Engine and Fuel System Examination
No other breaches were found throughout the fuel system. The airplane's engine was operationally checked, and no discrepancies were identified during the test run.