NTSB Factual Report

On August 18, 2001, at 1115 eastern daylight time, an experimental Waters Avid Bandit, N62PT, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight departed the Mettetal-Canton Airport (1D2), Plymouth, Michigan, at 1030, on a local flight. The airplane was in cruise flight returning to 1D2 when it experienced a loss of engine power and a forced landing was made to a racetrack located about 5 miles from the airport. The airplane hit a concrete building during landing roll. The pilot and passenger received serious injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed.

The pilot reported, "... I noticed uneven fuel usage from tanks. Decision made to return to airport immediately, but engine quit en route." He attempted an engine re-start but was unsuccessful. He executed a forced landing to a racetrack. He reported the airplane collided with a cement wall.

A Federal Aviation Administration Airworthiness Inspector examined the airplane and found no fuel in the right tank and 8 gallons of fuel in the left tank. No fuel leak was observed. He reported the pilot had informed him that during the flight, the pilot had the right wing fuel selector ON and the left wing fuel selector OFF. The pilot reported he forgot to select the left wing fuel selector to ON, and when the right wing fuel tank ran out of fuel, the engine quit.

The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions.

NTSB Probable Cause

fuel starvation due to the pilot's improper fuel calculations. A factor was the concrete building.