Incident Overview
During a landing approach at Rockwall Municipal Airport, the pilot entered the downwind leg and was about to perform the pre-landing checklist when the engine completely quit. The pilot immediately turned the aircraft towards the runway and switched the fuel selector to the right fuel tank, but the engine did not restart.
Landing and Post-Impact
The aircraft touched down to the right of the approach end of the displaced threshold at an angle of approximately 10 degrees. It then exited the right side of the runway into a down-sloped grassy area, crossed a taxiway that runs perpendicular to the runway, and came to a stop upright, facing back toward the runway.
Fuel System Examination
An examination of the airplane's fuel system revealed that the left fuel tank was empty, while the right fuel tank contained approximately half its capacity. The Rockwall Airport manager reported that after the incident, he moved the fuel selector from the left tank position to the off position.
Pilot's Preflight and Fuel Usage
During the preflight inspection, the pilot observed the fuel quantity in each tank at the tab level, which corresponds to a total of 17 gallons per tank. The pilot reported that she used the right fuel tank for taxi and climb, and the left tank for cruise.