Incident Overview
While on the visual approach to an airport, the aircraft's engine sputtered and subsequently lost power. The pilot's attempts to restore engine power were unsuccessful. To avoid trees, the pilot maneuvered the airplane and touched down on a grass fairway, after which the airplane nosed over.
Examination Findings
Post-accident examination of the airplane revealed that 18 ounces of fuel was recovered from the right wing tank, while no fuel was recovered from the left wing tank. The fuel supply line to the carburetor contained 4 ounces of fuel, and the carburetor bowl was empty. No evidence of fuel system leakage or defects was observed. Examination of the engine found no evidence of malfunction.
Aircraft Configuration
The airplane was equipped with a Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180-horsepower engine per STC SA4428SW. The hobbs meter indicated that the airplane had accumulated 3.7 hours of flight during the accident flight.