Overview
During the initial climbout at approximately 1,000 feet above ground level, the engine began sputtering and subsequently lost power. The pilot executed a forced landing to a rough field, where a gear-up landing was made.
Pilot Actions
The pilot reported that all controls were checked to be full forward, and both booster pumps (high and low) were actuated with no response. The aircraft was turned 90 degrees to the left to find an airport, but still no recovery was achieved. The fuel selector was switched to the right fuel tank, with no response. The pilot then looked for a place to land and flew the airplane until impact with the ground.
Inspection Findings
On-site inspection indicated no apparent fuel stains in the snow around the right wing or the nose wheel, where the gascolator was found broken. The fuel selector was found selected to the right tank. Both fuel caps were found with a ring of ice around them. The right fuel tank was visually verified empty, and the left fuel tank was verified nearly full of fuel. The pilot reported that both fuel tanks were topped off about a month prior to the accident and that the airplane had been outside on a ramp since then. The fuel distributor exhibited fuel present, and fuel was found in the fuel line leading to the fuel distributor.