Incident
According to the pilot, the airplane was topped with fuel before a 30-minute local flight on June 4, 2006. On June 8, the day of the accident, the airplane departed Cornelia Fort Airpark for Smithville, Tennessee, a distance of 45 nautical miles. After a brief time on the ground in Smithville, the airplane departed for the return trip to Cornelia Fort Airpark.
In-Flight Events
The pilot reported smelling fuel on takeoff, but the smell dissipated after leveling off. About 20 minutes into the flight, the smell returned and fuel pressure began to drop. The pilot switched to the left fuel tank, after which the fuel smell subsided and pressure stabilized. As the airplane neared the destination airport, fuel pressure dropped again. The engine lost power while the airplane was on a downwind leg for runway 04. The pilot switched fuel tanks again but was unable to restart the engine. The pilot made an off-airport landing in dense brush and small trees short of the runway.
Post-Accident Examination
Examination of the engine found the outlet fuel line from the engine-driven fuel pump to the carburetor disconnected at the fuel pump fitting. Fresh insect debris was found in the line, and evidence indicated it entered the line after the accident and prior to examination. The debris was cleared from the line and the line was reconnected.
Engine Test
The engine was primed and started. It started immediately and was run at 1,200 RPM for a few minutes before being shut down. The engine had been modified to deliver 160 HP and at that time had the fuel flow transducer installed in the fuel line between the fuel pump and carburetor. The aircraft had flown 49.5 hours since the modification, which was performed during the last annual inspection on September 5, 2005.