SU26 PLT MAKES AN ENG OUT LNDG ON A PVT AIRSTRIP AFTER ENG QUITS DURING AEROBATIC MANEUVER DUE TO IMPROPERLY POSITIONED MANUAL FUEL PUMP HANDLE.

Narrative

EMBARKED ON A 25 MIN AEROBATIC FLT. UPON REACHING LEGAL AEROBATIC PRACTICE AREA; COMMENCED AEROBATICS. AFTER 10 GALS FUEL BURNED; IN LAST MANEUVER; VERT UP OUTSIDE SNAP ROLL; ENG DIED. FUEL TOTALIZER SHOWED 7 GALS REMAINED. CHKED PWR SWITCH; MAGNETOS; FUEL PUMP; OIL PRESSURE; FUEL CUT OFF; PUMPED THROTTLE. ATTEMPTED TO BUILD PRESSURE WITH MANUAL FUEL PUMP. NO PRESSURE; UNABLE TO RESTART. RECOVERY FROM MANEUVER IN LEVEL FLT AT 3500 FT MSL. PRACTICE IS ALWAYS IN GLIDING DISTANCE OF ARPT. (ESTABLISHED BEST GLIDE SPD BEFORE ATTEMPTING RESTART/DIAGNOSIS.) PWR OFF APCH AND LNDG ON PVT STRIP (GRAVEL). NO DAMAGE OR INJURY. CALLED MECH. PRESSURE TESTED FUEL SYS. ADDED FUEL FOR SAFETY RESTART AND FLEW UNEVENTFULLY TO DEP ARPT. DETERMINED THAT MANUAL FUEL PUMP HANDLE WAS TURNED TO CYLINDER PRIME. FUEL CONSUMED AT 2 TIMES NORMAL RATE SHOWN ON TOTALIZER; DUE TO BYPASS OF CARB. INADVERTENT LACK OF CTRING SELECTOR CAUSED FUEL TO EXHAUST. CORRECTIVE ACTION: USE EXTRA SCRUTINY IN PREFLT OF SELECTOR POS AND MAKE MID-FLT REGULAR CHKS OF SELECTOR POS. I ALWAYS PREFLT THIS SELECTOR. IT MAY HAVE BEEN KICKED OR PULLED BY PARACHUTE HARNESS LEG STRAP; NEW PARACHUTE; DIFFERENT DESIGN THAN LAST ONE IN THIS PLANE. PROBABLY HAPPENED BEFORE TKOF. MY ACTIONS FOR DEALING WITH EMER WERE WELL EXECUTED. I IMMEDIATELY RECOVERED FROM VERT UP LINE AND WAS AT BEST GLIDE IMMEDIATELY; AIMED AT ARPT. WITHIN 10 SECONDS; I HAD EXHAUSTED ALL POSSIBILITIES IN ATTEMPTING RESTART. AT DECISION HT OF 1000 FT ON APCH; I WAS READY FOR ENG OUT LNDG. LNDG WAS PERFECT AND GENTLY CAME TO STOP. NO DAMAGE. I HAD ALERTED TWR OF MY PREDICAMENT AND TOLD THEM I HAD THE FIELD MADE BEFORE LOSING RADIO CONTACT. I FEEL I CAN IMPROVE MY PREFLT HABITS TO AVOID INADVERTENT MOVEMENT OF THIS SELECTOR. DESIGN OF AIRPLANE ACTUALLY VERY DIFFICULT TO IMPROVE ON. I HAVE ALERTED ALL OF THE OTHER OWNERS OF THIS TYPE OF ACFT TO THE SPECIAL PREFLT CHK BEFORE TKOF OF THIS SELECTOR.