What happened
During a cross-country flight, the pilot was in the process of transitioning fuel supply from the left tank to the right tank. At the time of the incident, the left tank contained 10 gallons of fuel, while the right tank held 17 gallons. As the pilot prepared to execute the switch, the engine experienced a sudden loss of power.
In an attempt to restore power, the pilot tried to switch the fuel source and restart the engine, but these efforts were unsuccessful. Consequently, the pilot performed a forced landing onto a dirt road. During the course of the landing roll, the left wing of the aircraft made contact with a tree, causing the plane to rotate 180 degrees. The impact resulted in the engine being torn from its mount, significant damage to both wing spars, and substantial damage to the empennage.
Findings
Post-accident observations during the recovery process revealed a discrepancy in the fuel levels. While the pilot had intended to switch to the right tank, a salvage team member noted that the right tank was empty, while the left tank still contained approximately 10 to 15 gallons of fuel. This suggests that the engine lost power due to fuel starvation prior to the successful completion of the fuel switch.