Accident Overview
A commercial pilot, along with two passengers, was conducting a personal flight under Title 14 CFR Part 91. While descending to approximately 1,000 feet mean sea level during the approach for landing, the pilot experienced a complete loss of engine power. In an attempt to restore power, the pilot switched the fuel tank selector from the "both" position to "left," then to "right," and back to "both." The pilot did not activate the auxiliary fuel pump during these selections.
Forced Landing and Impact
The pilot selected a small open area surrounded by trees and power lines for a forced landing. During the approach, the airplane collided with power lines and trees, sustaining substantial damage to the wings, fuselage, and empennage.
Postaccident Fuel Inspection
The accident airplane's maximum fuel capacity is 84 gallons, with 78 gallons of usable fuel and 6 gallons of unusable fuel (3 gallons per side). On-site inspection after the accident revealed that approximately 6 gallons of fuel were drained from the right fuel tank, and approximately 1.5 gallons from the left fuel tank.
Engine Examination
A postaccident examination of the engine found that the brass, fuel control-mounted mixture control lever was loose on the mixture control shaft. The mixture control shaft was in the closed (off) position. When the fuel control shaft was manually moved to the open position, the engine started and operated at various power settings for an extended time, producing its full rated rpm.
Maintenance Status
According to an FAA airworthiness inspector, the accident airplane was approximately 10 months overdue for its annual inspection. The mixture control linkage is an item required to be checked during the annual inspection.
No probable cause was stated in the source.