Incident Details
The practice flight originated at Rio Linda at approximately 1000 hours. The pilot performed two landings in Lincoln, California, and was returning to Rio Linda when the engine lost power. During the off-airport landing, the airplane sustained substantial damage.
Preflight Inspection
The pilot stated that the airplane was inside a locked hangar when he performed the preflight check. The only light available was coming through the hangar skylight. During the visual check of the fuel levels, it appeared from light reflections that the fuel level was all the way to the tank openings.
Post-Accident Examination
According to the FAA inspector who examined the airplane on-scene, the left wing was found severed from the fuselage and lying inverted. The fuel tank was split open, with only a slight hint of fuel and no evidence of a fuel spill on the ground. The right wing fuel cap was opened, and no fuel could be seen in the tank. The right wing tank sump drain was opened, and nothing came out. There was only a hint of fuel at the fuel strainer drain. The fuel selector was found in the right fuel tank detent.