Incident Overview
During a descent, the pilot of a single-engine airplane experienced a complete loss of engine power. The pilot declared an emergency and attempted to restart the engine by adjusting various engine controls, but these efforts did not restore power. Notably, the pilot did not move the fuel selector.
Maneuvering and Spin
While maneuvering at a slow airspeed in an attempt to reach an open field for an emergency landing, the airplane entered a spin. The pilot was able to partially recover from the spin before the airplane impacted the ground.
Post-Accident Examination
An examination of the airplane after the accident revealed that the fuel selector was positioned to a fuel tank that contained no fuel. Additionally, the fuel line from the engine-driven fuel pump to the carburetor was empty, as was the fuel feed line to the engine-driven fuel pump.
Findings
The loss of engine power was directly linked to the fuel starvation caused by the fuel selector being set to an empty tank. The subsequent slow-speed maneuvering contributed to the aerodynamic stall and spin. The pilot's partial recovery mitigated some of the impact forces.