Narrative
According to the pilot, the airplane was cruising at 10,500 feet mean sea level. The pilot reported that the left main fuel tank was selected for 30 minutes, then the auxiliary fuel tanks were selected for 1 hour and 15 minutes, followed by the right main fuel tank. Approximately 15 minutes after selecting the right main tank, with all engine instruments indicating normal operation, the engine lost power. About 1 to 2 seconds later, a growling noise occurred and the airplane began to shake. The growling intensified and then subsided intermittently before ceasing completely.
The pilot attempted normal engine restart procedures but was unsuccessful. The airplane was subsequently landed in a field with the landing gear retracted. During the landing roll, the airplane impacted a ditch.
Findings
Post-accident examination revealed that the auxiliary fuel tanks were empty, the right main fuel tank was approximately full, and the left main fuel tank was approximately one-quarter full. No further examination of the aircraft and engine was possible because the owner sold the airplane.
Fuel System Observations
The fuel distribution suggests that the left main tank was partially used, the auxiliary tanks were depleted, and the right main tank remained nearly full at the time of the landing. The sequence of tank selections and subsequent engine failure indicates a possible fuel starvation event, though the exact cause could not be determined due to the lack of a detailed examination.