Incident Details
While in cruise at 4,500 feet abeam the airport, the engine lost power. The pilot attempted unsuccessfully to restart the engine and performed a power-off landing in rough terrain about half a mile short of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage. During recovery, the wings were removed. The recovery agent found approximately 8 ounces of fuel in the left wing tank and 28 gallons in the right wing tank. Each tank holds 40 gallons total (37 gallons usable).
Engine Inspection
Examination of the engine revealed that the top spark plugs showed signs of normal operation. After removing the valve covers and manually rotating the engine, investigators obtained thumb compression on all cylinders. The valves moved in sequence and exhibited equal lift. The accessories rotated freely, and all ignition leads produced sparks. The throttle, propeller, and mixture controls moved stiffly through their full range.
Fuel System Evaluation
The fuel tanks were intact with open vents. The fuel selector valve was positioned about 0.5 inches clockwise from the right tank setting, representing an intermediate position. The boost pump switch was off. Investigators connected an auxiliary battery to the airplane battery and provided fuel to the right wing fuel line. With the mixture and throttle levers set to the in position, no fuel flowed from the fuel inlet line to the fuel manifold distribution valve. When the boost pump was activated, a steady stream of fuel emerged, and the fuel flow gauge read less than 5 gallons per hour initially, later peaking at 16 gallons per hour. The owner's manual instructs pilots experiencing engine power loss to turn the boost pump on.