Night Flight Ends in Forced Landing After Engine Power Loss (N55038)

Incident Overview and Emergency Response During a local one-hour night flight, the pilot was returning to the airport when the aircraft experienced a loss of engine power. At the time of the failure, the airplane was at an altitude of 1,000 feet above ground level and approximately 4.5 miles from the airport. The pilot immediately switched fuel tanks and completed the emergency checklist, but these actions were unsuccessful in restoring engine power. Unable to restart the engine, the pilot executed a hard landing in a landfill area. During the landing roll, the aircraft collided with a dirt bank. ## Post-Accident Fuel Findings Following the incident, investigators examined the fuel system. The fuel selector was found positioned to the right fuel tank, which contained a small amount of fuel. Additionally, approximately 3 to 4 gallons of fuel were discovered in a puddle underneath the right wing. In contrast, the left wing tank was found to be empty, containing no fuel.