What happened
While performing a cruise descent over Lake Huron, the left engine of the aircraft experienced a loss of power. The pilot subsequently executed a forced landing into an agricultural field.
Prior to departure, the pilot had topped off all fuel tanks, reaching a total capacity of 144 gallons. During the descent, the pilot checked the fuel quantity gauges and noted that the left fuel quantity indicated one-quarter tank. Because of this reading, the fuel selector was left on the inboard tanks.
Following the loss of power, the pilot did not secure the left engine or feather the propeller. The pilot reported that the engine was still producing some thrust, which was maintained in an attempt to reach a suitable landing site.
The investigation
A post-accident inspection revealed that all four fuel tanks had been drained. While the two inboard fuel tanks were found to be empty, a total of 70 gallons of fuel was recovered from the two outboard tanks. The inspection confirmed that the fuel tanks were not ruptured or damaged.
Testing showed that the left engine was capable of starting and running without anomalies when the fuel selector was positioned to the outboard tank.