Incident Overview
An aircraft experienced a loss of engine power, necessitating an emergency off-airport landing on a city street. Post-incident examination of the aircraft revealed an abraded solid aluminum fuel line located between the fuel selector valve and the engine.
Fuel Line Examination
When the fuel selector valve was turned on, a knife-shaped stream of fuel was observed emanating from the fuel line. Using an inspection mirror, investigators found that the abraded area had a V-shaped groove, with a hole approximately 1/16-inch in diameter through the wall of the tube at the deepest part of the groove. Dried, crusty fuel stains were present on the fuel line over a distance of about 2 inches. Adjacent to the leak area, a BNC-type antenna connector was located on an unused marker beacon antenna mounted on the lower fuselage.
Previous Inspections and History
An annual and pre-buy inspection had been performed on the aircraft 2.6 months before the incident. According to the hangar proprietor, the aircraft had been leaking fuel onto the hangar floor since some time prior to that inspection. The previous owner had reportedly turned off the fuel selector to stop the leaking. The aircraft had flown approximately 10 hours since the inspection.
Conclusion
The investigation documented the condition of the fuel line and the history of fuel leaks, but no probable cause was stated in the source.