Incident Details
A pilot reported that a remanufactured engine had been installed in the airplane. Following installation, a check flight of about 15 minutes was performed in the traffic pattern. After landing, maintenance personnel examined the airplane and found no discrepancies. The pilot then decided to conduct a local flight to break in the engine. After performing an engine run-up, the pilot departed and climbed to 2,500 feet, where he remained for a little over one hour. While descending to traffic pattern altitude, the pilot reduced the throttle and the engine lost power. He returned the throttle to full power, activated the electric fuel pump, checked that the mixture was full rich, and attempted to restart the engine several times. When he realized he would not be able to reach the runway, he executed an off-airport landing, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane.
Post-Accident Examination
Upon arrival at the scene, an FAA inspector and mechanics visually inspected the aircraft for fuel. They found no fuel in the right tank and 11 gallons in the left tank. According to the pilot, the fuel selector valve was positioned on the right tank at the time of the engine failure. Examination of the fuel lines and fuel manifold revealed little fuel. The gascolator was about half full when removed. When fuel was drained from the right header tank, very little fuel was observed. The engine was examined for a propeller strike and subsequently run on a test stand, where no discrepancies were noted.