Event Summary
On May 29, 2017, at 1330 eastern daylight time, an experimental, amateur-built Zenith Zodiac 601XL, registration N167EZ, was substantially damaged during a forced landing near Sanford, North Carolina. The private pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight was conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed. The local flight had originated at Deck Airpark (NC11) in Apex, North Carolina, at 1145.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that while returning to his home airport at an altitude of 6,000 feet mean sea level, the engine lost all power. He observed that the right fuel tank was empty, but believed the engine was drawing fuel from the left tank. He attempted an engine restart; the engine briefly started but then lost power again. Unable to restore power, he executed a forced landing in a plowed field.
Wreckage Examination
An inspector from the Federal Aviation Administration examined the wreckage. The nose gear collapsed during the landing, causing structural damage to the lower fuselage and engine firewall. The engine and propeller were undamaged. The right fuel tank was found empty, while the left tank contained fuel. The fuel tank selector handle in the cockpit was positioned to the left tank; however, the fuel tank valve remained in the right tank position and could not be moved to the left.
Fuel Selector System
The fuel tank selector valve hardware was inspected. The connection between the selector handle and the valve consisted of a threaded metal rod approximately one foot in length. The pilot, who built the airplane, reported that the rod "twisted like bubble gum" when the handle was rotated without changing the valve position. He had used a thinner rod due to an interference problem during construction; this rod was not part of the airplane kit and was improvised by the pilot. The pilot stated that the handle and valve assembly operated normally during initial testing.