Incident Summary
The pilot reported that after crossing over the destination airport at midfield, he entered a right downwind pattern for landing on runway 36. During this phase, the engine lost power. Another aircraft was observed on base leg for the same runway. The pilot elected to conduct a forced landing in the grass area next to runway 36. He immediately switched the fuel tank selector from the left main fuel tank to the right fuel tank and attempted an engine restart, which was unsuccessful. The pilot later stated that he misjudged his landing distance by about 150 feet and failed to maintain airspeed during the final approach. As a result, the airplane stalled and collided with the ground on its nose gear.
Post-Accident Examination
After the accident, an examination of the airplane revealed that the left fuel quantity indicator showed an empty reading. The left fuel tank was intact and not ruptured, and no fuel was found inside. The Pilot's Operating Handbook specifies that there are three gallons of unusable fuel in each fuel tank. Despite the indicator reading empty, three gallons of fuel were drained from the left main fuel tank during the examination. The fuel line was disconnected at the fuel flow divider and at the inlet side of the engine-driven fuel pump; no fuel was present in these lines.
Additional Findings
The nose section of the airplane was positioned in a brace, and the airplane was secured with a cargo strap. When the fuel selector was set to the right main fuel tank, the engine started and ran smoothly.