Introduction
An investigation was conducted after an airplane impacted terrain during a forced landing. The event followed a complete loss of engine power after takeoff. The pilot maneuvered the airplane back toward the runway, and during the descent, the airplane contacted a tree branch. The airplane came to rest upright, and the pilot switched the fuel valve selector to the OFF position before exiting.
Event Sequence
After takeoff, the pilot experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot did not report the position of the fuel valve selector at the time the loss occurred. The pilot then turned the airplane back toward the runway. During the descent, the airplane struck a tree branch. After the airplane came to rest upright, the pilot moved the fuel valve selector to OFF and exited the airplane.
Examination Findings
Examination of the airplane at the accident site revealed that the fuel selector switch was in the OFF position and the fuel quantity indicator switch was in the RIGHT MAIN FUEL TANK position. The right wing fuel tank and both auxiliary fuel tanks were full of fuel. The left wing fuel tank contained minimal fuel. Additionally, the fuel line leading to the engine-driven fuel pump was removed and observed to be dry. After manually pumping fuel through the fuel line, the system appeared to operate normally and no leaks were found.
Pilot Experience
The pilot had a total flight time of 800 hours, of which 13 hours were in the accident make and model of airplane.