Accident Overview
The pilot of the accident aircraft reported no recollection of the day of the accident or the flight itself. Witnesses observed the aircraft in flight with its propeller stopped shortly before it struck trees. Postcrash examination of the airframe and engine found no evidence of malfunction or failure. Fuel samples tested negative for water contamination.
Investigation Findings
Investigators noted that the fuel tanks were not ruptured, and no odor of fuel was present at the crash site. Evidence recovered from the aircraft, along with statements from the pilot's friends, indicated that the pilot had planned to replace the aircraft's fuel selector valve after landing. The aircraft's type-certificate data sheets specify that out of 39 gallons of total fuel capacity, 3 gallons are considered unusable. During the accident investigation, less than 2 gallons of fuel were actually drained from the entire fuel system.
Fuel System Analysis
The discrepancy between the aircraft's usable fuel capacity and the amount recovered suggests that fuel starvation likely occurred, though the source does not explicitly state a cause. The pilot's intended post-flight maintenance on the fuel selector valve may be relevant, but no direct causal link is established in the investigation report.