Forced Landing in Muddy Field After Engine Power Loss (N396TA)

Incident Overview and Flight Conditions The aircraft experienced a total loss of engine power while the pilot was en route to Monterey. At the time of the failure, the airplane was at 2,400 feet mean sea level (MSL) in instrument meteorological conditions. The pilot made three attempts to restart the engine, but all were unsuccessful, leading to a forced landing in a muddy field. During the landing, the airplane nosed over. The pilot reported having 10 gallons of fuel in both the right and left fuel tanks at the time of the incident. The muddy conditions made access to and recovery of the aircraft very difficult, leaving the airplane inverted in the field for a period of time. ## Post-Recovery Findings After the aircraft was recovered, investigators found 4 gallons of fuel in the right tank and 1.75 gallons in the left tank. The fuel selector was positioned to the “Both” position, and fuel was present in all components of the fuel system. An examination of the engine revealed no condition that would have prevented normal operation.