Accident Overview
The airplane was substantially damaged during a forced landing following a loss of engine power. According to a police report, the pilot stated that the engine quit while he was switching fuel tanks to equalize weight. He attempted to switch back to a different fuel tank, but the engine still did not respond. He also tried using the manual fuel hand-pump, with no response from the engine.
Landing and Damage
The pilot landed the airplane in a swampy field adjacent to a road. During the landing, the aircraft contacted the ground and flipped over. The airplane sustained substantial damage as a result of the forced landing and the subsequent rollover.
Postaccident Examination
A postaccident examination of the aircraft revealed no fuel remained in the left fuel tank or the auxiliary fuel tank. Approximately 2 inches of fuel remained in the right fuel tank when measured with a dipstick. No anomalies were found with respect to the aircraft or its systems, indicating that the engine failure was not due to a mechanical malfunction.
Additional Information
The pilot had purchased the aircraft earlier on the day of the accident. No other details about the flight or the pilot were provided in the source material.