On April 16, 2021, about 2030 eastern daylight time, a Cessna A185F amphibian airplane, N19D, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near North Vernon, Indiana. The pilot was not injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.   The pilot reported that he assisted a mechanic with a 100-hour inspection, and he then conducted an operational check of the airplane, which included an inspection and a run-up of the airplane. He then departed and after retracting the landing gear and flaps, the engine lost power. Unable to make it back to the airport, he selected a nearby golf course for the forced landing. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the empennage and aft section of the fuselage.

Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the left fuel tank contained 10 gallons of fuel and the right fuel tank contained 15 gallons of fuel. The inspector reported that the mechanic had to leave work early, and the pilot installed portions of the interior which included the fuel selector handle. Examination of the fuel selector handle found that the handle had been installed incorrectly by 90° on the fuel selector shaft. The fuel selector shaft was “keyed” so that the fuel selector handle could be installed in only one way; however, the handle partially fit over the stem and allowed the attaching screw to partially engage on the shaft. The inspector removed the fuel selector handle and provided a photo of the selector as orientated, when found (see Figure 1). The fuel selector handle was on the left tank position, but the orientation of the fuel selector shaft as positioned restricted all fuel flow to the engine.

Figure 1: Fuel valve selector (FAA photo)

A post-accident engine test run was conducted with the engine operated at full throttle; the fuel selector was placed in the left, right, and both positions. The engine operated with the fuel selector in each of these positions with no anomalies noted.

The airplane was factory equipped with a small header tank that collected fuel before being fed to the engine.