What happened
During the initial climbout following takeoff, the pilot of a PA-32-301T noticed a change in exhaust noise and the engine began running rough. While the engine was still producing enough power to perform a shallow, climbing left turn, it eventually ceased developing power at approximately 250 feet AGL while on a wide left downwind for runway 19.
The pilot executed a forced landing in a field located immediately south of runway 06/24. The landing area consisted of cut grass that was soft, wet, and rutted. During the aircraft's rollout, the nosegear and the left main gear collapsed. The pilot and four passengers were not injured, though the airplane sustained substantial damage upon impact with the terrain.
The investigation
An engine monitor on the aircraft recorded fuel flow between 10.2 and 13.5 gallons per hour. During the takeoff sequence, the monitor recorded 0.9 gallons of fuel used during start-up and an additional 0.5 gallons used during the run-up.
A subsequent test run of the engine revealed no anomalies. However, during repairs to the aircraft, a mechanic discovered that the fuel selector lever could move past the selected fuel tank detent. Further investigation determined that the 'off' stop was not operating properly.