Incident Overview
A flight instructor was maneuvering the aircraft when the engine cowling blew open. Shortly thereafter, the pilot heard a loud bang and the engine experienced a loss of power. The pilot executed a forced landing to a field. During the landing roll, the nose landing gear collapsed.
Fuel System Examination
An FAA inspector found the fuel selector positioned on the left fuel tank. The flight instructor stated that she moved the fuel selector to that position after the accident. Salvage personnel who recovered the airplane reported draining approximately 15 gallons of fuel from the right fuel tank. The left fuel tank was empty.
Mechanical Inspection
Examination of the airplane revealed no anomalies that would have prevented engine operation. No fuel was found in the electric fuel pump, the fuel line to the fuel sump, the sump, the fuel line to the carburetor, or the carburetor bowl.
Conclusion
The sequence of events—cowling failure, power loss, forced landing, and gear collapse—occurred as described. The investigation identified a discrepancy in fuel distribution between the two tanks, with the left tank empty and the right tank containing usable fuel. No mechanical deficiencies were discovered that could explain the power loss.