Incident Overview
A pilot with 24,611 hours of flight experience made a forced landing to an open field after experiencing a total loss of engine power while on a visual approach. The pilot reported that he did not visually check the fuel tanks prior to takeoff and could not recall what the fuel gauges indicated during the flight. He believed that both auxiliary fuel tanks were full and both main fuel tanks were nearly full.
Sequence of Events
The power loss occurred when the pilot moved the fuel selector valve from the left main fuel tank to the right main fuel tank in preparation to land. After the power loss, the pilot attempted to restart the engine by switching the fuel selector valve back to the left tank, but the engine did not restart.
Post-Accident Examination
Examination of both wings revealed that the right main and auxiliary fuel tanks were breached from impact. When the system was pressurized, fuel was noted in the auxiliary tank's fuel lines. Both of the main tank's fuel screens were absent of debris. At the time the airplane was recovered, there was no fuel in either tank. The left main and auxiliary tanks were intact, and both of the left main tank's fuel screens were also absent of debris. Approximately nine gallons of fuel were drained from the left auxiliary tank, while the left main tank was empty.
Site Observations
Grass at the accident site, where the airplane came to rest, was discolored yellow below the area of the right auxiliary tank, the inboard section of the right main tank, and the left auxiliary tank. An FAA inspector who examined the airplane at the site reported that when he opened the left auxiliary fuel cap, fuel poured out of the tank and onto the ground.
Engine Test Run
Following recovery to a secure location, the engine was test-run on the airframe using a test propeller. The engine started immediately and ran at various power settings without interruptions. No mechanical anomalies were noted during the test run.