CEN26LA144

The airplane departed from the airport for the short local area flight. Shortly after the pilot configured the airplane for cruise flight, the engine sustained a total loss of power. The pilot activated the electric boost pump, and he reached down to touch the fuel selector, located on the left side cockpit floor. He thought that the fuel selector was set to the right-wing fuel tank. Unable to restart the engine, the pilot elected to land at the departure airport. Due to the pilot prematurely extending the main landing gear, he performed a forced landing to a grass field located to the north of the departure airport. The right wing impacted trees, and the airplane came to rest upright on the grass field. Postaccident examination found the left-wing fuel tank was empty, the right-wing fuel tank had minimal fuel, and the fuel selector was found set to the left-wing fuel tank. There were no signs of fuel leakage at the accident site. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and to both wings. The pilot reported there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airframe or the engine that would have precluded normal operation. The airplane flight manual preflight checks state “check fuel” and the airplane flight manual starting checks state “fuel valve on (right or left main).” The pilot admitted that he made an error, and he felt that, like most other general aviation accidents, it should never have happened.