20201227019939A

Pilot departed klpc with full fuel, landed at khii, picked up two passengers and a dog, pilot did not refuel. Pilot flew back to klpc, times enroute both ways were as expected by the pilot. At about 17 miles from klpc the pilot switched to the left main tank, the engine then lost power. He switched back to the right main tank but still no power. The pilot stated he thought he might not have the fuel selector in the detent, and this caused the engine to fail. The pilot later switched back to the left main tank, and turned on the fuel pump. The pilot then turned towards kiza for landing because it was closer. The pilot kept thinking the fuel selector was the problem, that he did not have it properly in the detent. As the pilot got closer to kiza he set up for landing on runway 8. During this time the pilot shut off the fuel pump. As the pilot got closer to the airport he realized he was not going to make the runway, and was going to land short. It was now dark and when the pilot finally saw the ground, he lowered the gear and turned on the landing lights. The pilot saw a tree he was about to hit, and made a quick bank to the right, then leveled the wings. The pilot realized the ground was sloping up, so he pulled back on the yoke. The airplane impacted the ground, and slid sidways thru a fence and stopped . There were no injuries and everybody climbed out of the airplane, no post crash fire.