| Crash location | 40.952778°N, 124.093333°W |
| Nearest city | Mckinleyville, CA
40.946515°N, 124.100621°W 0.6 miles away |
| Tail number | N3442Z |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 01 Aug 2012 |
| Aircraft type | Piper PA-22-160 |
| Additional details: | None |
The pilot said that he had just acquired the airplane and was flying his first cross-country flight in it. He was not monitoring the fuel quantity in the left and right fuel tanks, because he thought the fuel selector had a both selection only. However, the fuel selector was positioned to the left tank for the entire trip. On short final at his destination, the airplane’s engine lost power due to fuel starvation. The pilot performed a forced landing, which bent and wrinkled the fuselage and wings. The pilot had a total flight time of about 150 hours, of which only 5 hours were in the accident make and model.
The pilot's improper fuel management, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel starvation. Contributing to the accident were the pilot’s lack of experience in the accident airplane make and model and his lack of knowledge regarding the fuel system.