Incident Overview
A commercial pilot was conducting an on-demand passenger flight with three passengers aboard. As the airplane approached the destination airport at about 800 feet above ground level over a city, the engine began to run rough and lose power.
Pilot Actions
In an attempt to restore engine power, the pilot confirmed that the fuel selector valve was placed to the right fuel tank and momentarily placed the auxiliary fuel boost pump in the high boost position. Engine power was momentarily restored, followed by a complete loss of power. The pilot selected a forced landing area adjacent to several baseball fields. During the approach, the airplane passed over four occupied baseball fields.
Accident Sequence
During touchdown, the airplane's left wing collided with a chain link fence. The airplane veered to the left, collided with a concrete embankment, and cartwheeled to the left.
Pilot Interview
During an on-scene interview, the pilot reported that he routinely flew the accident route using only the right fuel tank. He stated that fuel stored in the left fuel tank was considered a reserve tank. Another pilot had flown the accident airplane prior to the accident flight, and usually, when an airplane returned to the operator's base, line service personnel would routinely fill the right fuel tank to be ready for the next flight.
Fuel Management
Prior to departing on the outbound leg of the flight, the pilot said that he did not visually check the fuel quantity in the right wing fuel tank, and that the entire round-trip flight was flown with the fuel selector valve selected to the right fuel tank. When asked if he attempted to switch the fuel selector valve from the right fuel tank to the left tank, the accident pilot responded "no."
Post-Accident Examination
During wreckage recovery efforts, and in the presence of the NTSB IIC, about 0.8 gallons of fuel was drained from the right wing-mounted fuel tank and associated fuel lines. About 30 gallons of fuel were drained from the left wing-mounted fuel tank. The tanks were not damaged during the accident and did not leak.