What happened
A commercial pilot was returning to his company base after completing two intermediate stops to deliver passengers and freight. The flight route from the company base airport to the accident site spanned approximately 243 nautical miles. At the previous intermediate stop, the pilot had landed with the fuel selector set to the right main tank but departed with the selector switched to the left main tank. Both wing tip tanks were full at the time of departure.
While descending toward the company base, the engine stopped operating. The pilot attempted to restart the engine by selecting the right wing tip tank and activating the fuel boost pump, but the engine failed to restart. A subsequent attempt to restart using the left wing tip tank was also unsuccessful. The pilot performed an emergency landing in a small opening in a wooded area located about 15 miles south of the company base airport. During the landing sequence, the aircraft struck several small trees and settled into soft, boggy terrain.
The investigation
The company's director of operations attended the accident scene and reported that the left main fuel tank was empty, while fuel remained in the right main tank and both wing tip tanks. An FAA inspector examined the aircraft and confirmed that the left main tank contained no fuel. The inspection revealed that fuel flowed properly from all tanks to the engine except for the left main tank. Following the replacement of the propeller, the engine was started and functioned normally.
Findings
Investigation into the fuel system noted that the aircraft owner's handbook specifies the fuel selector should be switched to an alternative tank before the current tank is depleted. The manual also indicates that if fuel exhaustion has occurred, it may take up to ten seconds to restore power after switching tanks.