Accident Overview
A pilot conducting night landing practice at Chickasha Municipal Airport encountered an engine power loss while in the traffic pattern for Runway 17. The pilot initiated a forced landing. During the landing roll, the airplane struck a fence and crossed a ditch, resulting in the collapse of the nose landing gear. The aircraft came to rest inverted approximately half a mile north of Runway 17.
Pilot Report and Fuel System Examination
The pilot reported that the fuel selector was positioned to the left fuel tank and stated that he "thinks the engine quit because there was no fuel left in the left fuel tank." A post-accident examination of the fuel system revealed no fuel in the left main fuel tank or the left tip tank. The fuel selector was found positioned to the left tank, and no evidence of fuel spillage from that tank was observed. The right main fuel tank contained fuel, but it was leaking from its filler cap.
Procedures Reference
The Pilot's Operating Handbook for the airplane, in Section IV, Normal Procedures, page 4-10, under 'Before Landing,' instructs: "Fuel Selector Valve - SELECT MAIN TANK MORE NEARLY FULL."
Investigation Findings
No evidence of mechanical malfunction was identified in the fuel system. The absence of fuel in the left tank is consistent with the pilot's supposition regarding the cause of the power loss.