Incident Details
The pilot departed Charlotte Douglas International Airport and climbed to 2,000 feet when the engine sputtered and lost power. The pilot executed a left turn back toward the airport, declared an emergency, and landed in a parking lot. During the landing, the airplane collided with a curb, nosed over against a boulder, and struck a private automobile.
Pilot Actions
After the engine began losing power, the pilot pulled the carburetor heat control, checked the magnetos, set the mixture to full rich, and verified with his hand that the fuel selector was positioned to "both." The pilot reported that he did not visually confirm the fuel selector position during the preflight inspection or after the engine malfunction.
Preflight and Maintenance
The pilot stated that a mechanic changed the oil in the airplane before the first flight of the day. The mechanic informed the pilot that he had moved the fuel selector to the off position during the oil change. The pilot did not verify the fuel selector valve position during the preflight check.
Examination Findings
On-scene examination of the fuel selector valve by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) revealed that the selector was in the off position. No anomalies were noted with the fuel selector valve. The Cessna 175 Owner's Manual specifies in the Exterior Inspection Diagram that the tank selector should be set to "BOTH" during the preflight check. The manual also states under "BEFORE LANDING" that the pilot should set the fuel selector to "both tanks."