Fuel Starvation During a Photography Flight Led to Forced Landing (N5089V)

Incident Overview and Pilot Actions During a work-related photography flight, the pilot experienced a complete loss of engine power caused by fuel starvation. The pilot had not visually confirmed the fuel quantity in the tanks before starting the 1.5-hour flight, although he believed approximately 45 gallons of fuel were available. When the engine lost power, the pilot attempted to restore it by switching the fuel selector from the right tank to the left tank, but the engine did not restart. The pilot then executed a hard forced landing in a soft open field. ## Post-Accident Examination Findings During the subsequent examination of the aircraft, investigators found that the right fuel tank was dry, while the left tank contained 4 gallons of fuel. Fuel drops were observed in the metered fuel line from the metering unit to the manifold valve and in the return line at the engine-driven fuel pump. The main fuel line to the engine-driven fuel pump was dry, and some fuel was present in the return line from the metering unit to the engine-driven fuel pump. The gascolator was approximately one-quarter full of fuel, and about 1.5 ounces of fuel could be drained from the left header tank. The aircraft's electric boost pump was activated and operated normally. ## Engine Inspection The engine was examined, and the crankshaft was rotated by hand. No evidence of any pre-impact mechanical malfunction was found in the internal engine components.