Accident Sequence
The pilot reported being on final approach and cleared to land. He activated the low auxiliary fuel pump, moved the fuel selector to the fullest tank, and then turned the pump off. Shortly thereafter, he noticed the aircraft was below the glide path and advanced the throttle to increase power, but the power did not increase. He attempted an engine restart but was unsuccessful. As the aircraft was very close to the ground, the pilot abandoned the restart and conducted a forced landing.
During the landing roll, the airplane traversed a drainage ditch and struck a transmission pole with its left wing. The nose wheel landing gear and right main landing gear separated from the aircraft. The outer three feet of the left wing was crushed aft, and the entire left wing was bent aft at the wing root. The fuselage was wrinkled and twisted.
Post-Accident Examination
The owner stated that the airplane had been topped off with fuel approximately 1.0 hour of engine operation before the accident. On October 29, 2004, under the auspices of a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector, the engine was test run and started and ran without a problem.
Manufacturer's Guidance
The airplane manufacturer's Pilot's Operating Handbook does not recommend turning on the auxiliary fuel pump for normal fuel selector tank changes. The manufacturer's Pilot Safety and Warning Supplements manual states: "The auxiliary fuel pump should not be operated during takeoff and landing, since gravity and the engine driven fuel pump will supply adequate fuel flow to the fuel injector unit." It also notes: "Each time the auxiliary fuel pump switch is turned on or off, the mixture should be readjusted."