Incident Overview
On July 11, 1997, at 0832 local time, a pilot departed from Yakima Airport (YKM) in Yakima, Washington. Approximately one hour and seventeen minutes later, at 0949, the Yakima Tower received a radio transmission from the aircraft indicating a power loss. Subsequently, the pilot performed a forced landing onto soft terrain. During the landing, the nose gear collapsed and the aircraft nosed over.
Preflight and Fuel Status
The pilot reported that during the preflight inspection, she checked the aircraft's fuel quantity using a dip stick. She was interrupted and had to begin the check again. She noted that the left tank was "1 inch down" and the right tank was "full." Before takeoff, the aircraft operated on the ground for 10 to 15 minutes at 1,000 RPM.
Post-Accident Examination
An on-site examination by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) found no evidence of fuel in the left tank and approximately one cup of fuel in the right tank. No evidence of fuel spillage was observed at the accident site, and no fuel leakage from the fuel system was detected.
Fuel Service History
The pilot stated that on the evening before the flight, she contacted the fixed base operator (FBO) to have the aircraft serviced with fuel. However, an FAA examination of FBO documentation revealed no record of the aircraft having been refueled since June 14th. The aircraft had been flown approximately 2.5 hours on the day before the accident.
Aircraft Fuel Specifications
The aircraft's total usable fuel capacity was 38 gallons. Estimated fuel consumption for the aircraft was between 6.0 and 9.7 gallons per hour.