What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4)On final approach at the destination airport, the airplane's engine 'stopped.' The pilot switched fuel tanks and turned on the fuel pump. Engine power was not restored. Upon realizing that the approach glidepath would put the airplane into trees, the pilot elected to land in a field short of the trees. Continuity of the fuel system was confirmed. Physical evidence of contamination (ferrous and nonferrous) was found throughout the fuel system (fuel strainer, selector valve, electric fuel pump, left wing fuel cavity, and carburetor) indicating that water had been present at some time and was allowed to remain in the system. During the preflight, it is necessary for the pilot to select each tank with the fuel selector valve then individually drain it, from the cockpit, prior to flight, using the drain valve on the fuel selector. The individual tanks are not equipped with drain sumps. If a fuel tank, that was not drained properly, was selected during flight, water and/or contaminants could be introduced into the engine causing a partial loss of power or engine stoppage. The engine was removed from the airframe, and during an engine run, no apparent anomalies were found.
As the FAA filed it
(.4)ON FINAL APPROACH AT THE DESTINATION AIRPORT, THE AIRPLANE'S ENGINE 'STOPPED.' THE PILOT SWITCHED FUEL TANKS AND TURNED ON THE FUEL PUMP. ENGINE POWER WAS NOT RESTORED. UPON REALIZING THAT THE APPROACH GLIDEPATH WOULD PUT THE AIRPLANE INTO TREES, THE PILOT ELECTED TO LAND IN A FIELD SHORT OF THE TREES. CONTINUITY OF THE FUEL SYSTEM WAS CONFIRMED. PHYSICAL EVIDENCE OF CONTAMINATION (FERROUS AND NONFERROUS) WAS FOUND THROUGHOUT THE FUEL SYSTEM (FUEL STRAINER, SELECTOR VALVE, ELECTRIC FUEL PUMP, LEFT WING FUEL CAVITY, AND CARBURETOR) INDICATING THAT WATER HAD BEEN PRESENT AT SOME TIME AND WAS ALLOWED TO REMAIN IN THE SYSTEM. DURING THE PREFLIGHT, IT IS NECESSARY FOR THE PILOT TO SELECT EACH TANK WITH THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE THEN INDIVIDUALLY DRAIN IT, FROM THE COCKPIT, PRIOR TO FLIGHT, USING THE DRAIN VALVE ON THE FUEL SELECTOR. THE INDIVIDUAL TANKS ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH DRAIN SUMPS. IF A FUEL TANK, THAT WAS NOT DRAINED PROPERLY, WAS SELECTED DURING FLIGHT, WATER AND/OR CONTAMINANTS COULD BE INTRODUCED INTO THE ENGINE CAUSING A PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER OR ENGINE STOPPAGE. THE ENGINE WAS REMOVED FROM THE AIRFRAME, AND DURING AN ENGINE RUN, NO APPARENT ANOMALIES WERE FOUND.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.