Incident Details
A pilot departed on a personal cross-country flight, planning for 3 hours of flying time. After being airborne for 2.5 hours, the pilot experienced a sudden loss of engine power. In response, he enriched the mixture and applied carburetor heat in an attempt to restore power. He then declared an emergency and was provided with directions to an airport located 10 miles ahead. Shortly thereafter, the pilot determined that he would be unable to reach that airport and began searching for a suitable landing site.
Emergency Response
During a routine scan of the cockpit controls, the pilot moved the fuel selector from the right tank position to the "both" position. The airplane's usable fuel capacity per tank is 27.5 gallons. Despite the fuel selector change, the engine did not regain power, and the pilot executed a landing in an off-airport location. The outcome of the landing is not specified in the report.
Post-Flight Inspection
After the flight, investigators measured the fuel remaining in the tanks. The left fuel tank contained 17 gallons, while the right tank held only 0.5 gallons. The carburetor bowl and the fuel gascolator were both found to be dry, indicating that fuel was not reaching the engine at the time of the power loss.