The Accident
The pilot was ferrying the airplane with the landing gear locked down. During the descent for landing, the engine lost power while the right auxiliary fuel tank was selected. The pilot switched to another fuel tank and pumped the throttle, but was unable to restart the engine. The pilot subsequently performed an off-airport landing in a field.
Examination Findings
Post-accident examination revealed that the right auxiliary fuel tank, the fuel lines leading to the fuel control unit, and the fuel injection manifold were all devoid of fuel. Usable fuel was found in the other three fuel tanks. When the auxiliary fuel pump was activated, fuel flowed to the fuel control unit, indicating that the fuel system was otherwise functional.
Flight Manual Procedures
According to the flight manual, the auxiliary fuel tanks are intended for use only in level flight. The manual specifies that if a fuel tank is run dry, the pilot should switch to a tank containing fuel and then turn on the auxiliary fuel pump to the low setting.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported being aware of the procedure requiring the auxiliary fuel pump to be turned on after switching tanks. However, after changing fuel tanks, the pilot had to focus attention on flying the airplane and preparing for the imminent forced landing, and did not complete the pump activation step.