Accident Sequence
Shortly after departure, while climbing through 1,500 feet above ground level, the airplane's engine spooled down. The pilot reported pushing the engine controls forward and activating the auxiliary fuel pump, but observed no change in engine power. He elected to make a forced landing in a field approximately 2 miles from the departure airport. During the landing roll, the left main landing gear impacted an ant hill and separated from the airplane.
Examination of Fuel System
An FAA inspector examined the aircraft after the accident. The fuel selector was found in the off position. The left auxiliary fuel tank was completely empty, while the left and right main fuel tanks were full. The right auxiliary fuel tank contained 3.5 gallons of fuel. The pilot indicated that he believed he had taken off with the left main fuel tank selected.
Post-Accident Engine Testing
The airplane was moved to an aircraft maintenance facility, where mechanics conducted a test run of the engine while it was still mounted on the airframe. With the left auxiliary fuel tank selected, the engine would not start or run. However, with each of the remaining fuel tanks selected (left main, right main, and right auxiliary), the engine started and ran for approximately 15 minutes without issues.