Accident Sequence
The airplane experienced a loss of engine power while on final approach after the pilot selected an empty fuel cell during the landing check. The pilot reported completing the landing checklist and was cleared to land on Runway 31. While approximately 5 miles out on final approach, approach control instructed the pilot to fly a heading of 280 degrees for a right base to Runway 04R.
GUMPS Check
During the GUMPS check (gas, undercarriage, mixture, propeller, and switches), the pilot moved the fuel selector from the left tank to the right tank. Immediately after this action, the engine began losing power. The pilot then moved the fuel selector back to the left side, but the engine did not recover.
Emergency Landing
The pilot declared an emergency and informed the control tower that he would be landing at a nearby football field. However, about 500 feet short of the intended landing site, the airplane's right wing clipped a tree. The aircraft then came to rest in a residential area, with the right wing on top of a house and the left wing on an automobile. The landing site was approximately 2 nautical miles short of the destination airport.
Damage
The wings and fuselage sustained structural damage. The engine and propeller were also damaged.
Investigation
An FAA inspector responded to the site and found that the airplane's fuel selector was not in the left indent position. Five gallons of fuel was drained from the left fuel tank.