Incident Overview
A pilot and passenger prepared to depart on a volunteer search and rescue flight. During preflight activities, a seat belt from one of the front seats became lodged under the fuel selector handle, which was located on the cockpit floor between the two front seats. When the seat belt was pulled loose, the long, pointer end of the fuel selector handle snapped off.
Flight and Emergency Landing
After the breakage, the pilot positioned the remaining portion of the fuel selector to what appeared to be the 'BOTH' position. Shortly after takeoff, the engine suddenly quit. The pilot performed an emergency landing on snow-covered terrain.
Post-Accident Discovery
Following the accident, the pilot investigated the fuel selector and discovered that he had inadvertently positioned it to the 'OFF' position. The loss of the pointer end of the selector handle allowed the selector to rotate a full 360 degrees, making it impossible to visually confirm the correct position.