Engine Power Loss
During a cross-country flight in a single-engine airplane, the engine began to surge and lose power when the airplane was about 30 miles from the destination. The pilot attempted to restore full engine power by switching the fuel selector valve from the right fuel tank to the left tank, setting the fuel mixture to full rich, and activating the auxiliary fuel boost pump. The engine regained full power momentarily, but when the airplane was approximately 17 miles from the destination, the engine started surging again. The pilot then moved the fuel selector valve back to the right tank, but engine power was not restored.
Forced Landing and Impact
The pilot selected a mountainous tundra-covered ridgeline as a forced landing site. During touchdown on the soft terrain, the nose wheel struck an object beneath the tundra, causing the airplane to nosed over and come to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and fuselage.
Post-Accident Interviews
The day after the accident, during a telephone interview with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigator-in-charge (IIC), the pilot stated that he had failed to verify the amount of fuel onboard before departing. In a written statement submitted by the pilot's attorney 11 days after the accident, the pilot reported that 20 days before the accident he had the airplane fueled and verified that the fuel tanks were full. He stated that he then flew two short flights, and the airplane sat for 12 days until the day of the accident flight. The accident flight occurred a day early and followed a different route than anticipated. The pilot added that they flew extra miles and encountered significant headwinds and decreased ground speed before the engine began surging.