20180806010329A

The accident occurred August 6, 2018, at approximately 10:00 local CDT near Pomona , Missouri, and the aircraft was carrying the pilot and one passenger at the time of the accident no injuries reported.

The location of the accident site was approximately 1 nautical at 135 degrees from the center of West Plains Regional Airport (kuno).

The pilot stated during the interview he was on a local VFR flight from West Plains Regional Airport (kuno), and had been flying about an hour on the left fuel tank before landing, and switchiing passengers. The pilot made the next takeoff to the south from runway 18 (kuno), and during the climb out about 500 feet AGL decided to switch the fuel selector from the left tank to the right tank. Shortly after switching tanks, the engine quit. He made the decision to turn left back towards the airport and switched the fuel selector back to the left tank but the engine would not restart. The pilot made the decision to pick out a field to make an emergency landing. During the landing, the aircraft sustained substantial damage from impacts with a fence, a recreational vehicle, a 1-inch round cedar tree, and a round hay bale before coming to rest. The pilot stated he must have switched the fuel selector to the off position instead of the right tank causing the engine to quit.

Inspection of the site indicated the pilot attempted to land the aircraft in a pasture in a northerly direction. During the landing roll out the aircraft went through an east/west wire fence line before the outboard portion of the left wing impacted a parked recreational vehicle. The aircraft impacted a cedar tree in the fence line and impacted a round hay bale just on the north side of the fence line before coming to rest approximately 40 feet north of the fence line. The aircraft came to rest facing in a west/north west direction.

The investigators found the aircraft upright and intact. There was impact damage to the outboard portions of both wings and substantial damage to empennage and tail section. The propeller and engine section did not appear to have any visible damage. Airframe damage near the right passenger door would not allow the door to close.

The leading edge of the left wing showed damage from the left wing tip inboard approximately the length of the left aileron. There was damage to the empennage just forward of the vertical stabilizer with the whole tail section bent and twisted approximately 90 degrees from aircraft centerline. The right outboard wing tip and the right out board aileron also sustained damage. After coming to rest, the right main gear tire was flat with ground scars in the grass showing from the right main tire angling southwest towards the fence line.

A control continuity check was established with the ailerons, but could not be established with the elevators or rudder due to empennage damage just forward of the tail section. A visual check of the fuel gages indicated fuel in both wing tanks. A physical check of the wing tanks revealed the fuel level in the right tank approximately ½ inch below the fuel filler neck. The left fuel tank level was just over 3 inches below the fuel filler neck. The fuel selector was in the off position, which is where the pilot stated he positioned it after the aircraft came to rest.

A review of the aircraft records indicated the airframe, engine and propeller were all within their respective annual inspections. The 91.207(d) inspection was also current. The aircraft had a valid airworthiness certificate and a current aircraft registration form.

The pilot was able to produce a valid private pilot single engine land certificate and a current third class physical. A review of the pilot?s flight logbook indicated he was current in this aircraft and had completed a recent flight review as required by title 14 CFR 61.56.