Circumstances
The airline transport certificated pilot and a pilot-rated passenger departed on a cross-country personal flight. The airplane had been last fueled the day before. Before departure, the pilot reported a preflight inspection found no water in the fuel and estimated about 50 gallons on board. The distance from departure to the accident site was about 230 nautical miles.
Engine Failure
While in a slow descent, the engine began to run rough and lose power. The pilot adjusted the carburetor heat control and the mixture control, but the engine roughness intensified. At about 1,200 feet, the engine quit running. The pilot selected an emergency landing area in soft, tundra-covered terrain.
Landing and Damage
After touchdown, the airplane nosed over. The nose gear was sheared off, and the airplane received damage to the propeller, left wing, vertical stabilizer, and rudder.
Post-Accident Observations
After the accident, the pilot reported the odor of fuel permeated the air and noticed fuel squirting from the fuel tank air vent tube. About two hours later, an Alaska State Trooper arrived by helicopter to pick up the pilot and passenger. The trooper reported he did not see or smell fuel.
Recovery and Examination
The wreckage was retrieved by a helicopter company two days after the accident. During recovery, the wings and engine were removed from the fuselage. The recovery crew did not notice any fuel in the wing fuel tanks, but they found fuel in the lines between the tanks, the fuel strainer, and an engine fuel line.
Three days after the accident, FAA inspectors examined the wreckage. They noted no fuel present in the fuel tanks; the fuel tank screens were unobstructed. A small amount of fuel was found in the fuel strainer. Activation of the engine fuel primer produced fuel from the primer line. The carburetor inlet fuel screen was removed, revealing a small amount of fuel; the screen was clean and unobstructed. The carburetor bowl was about one-quarter full of fuel. Activation of the throttle arm produced fuel from the accelerator pump nozzle. Hand rotation of the engine confirmed valve action and spark from the spark plug leads.