Narrative:

Engine failure due to fuel starvation (mechanical failure). On-airport engine-out forced landing at ZZZ resulted. No damage. No repairs needed. Preflight performed post-maintenance at ZZZ1 shop ramp. Normal preflight was performed; except pilot was unable to reach left tip tank fuel sump due to position of plane on ramp. Pilot did not note fuel amount in tip tanks on preflight; due to full (35 gallons) main tank and planned 40 min flight. After normal takeoff; a normal climb out for return was performed. Pilot noted right wing began to feel 'heavy.' suspected aileron trim tab may have been bent down slightly during maintenance; although it had appeared normal during preflight. Pilot then noted fuel gauges indicated almost full main tank (30 gallons); 20 gallons in right tip tank; but 0 gallons indicated in left tip tank (auxiliary tank was empty). Tip tank gauges are erratic and notoriously inaccurate; but as a precaution; pilot elected to return immediately to home base due to increasingly 'heavy' right wing. Shortly; the engine surged slightly during climb out. Mixture; propeller; and power settings were noted to be normal. Engine surged again approximately 10 seconds later and manifold pressure dropped to 20 inches from 26 inches. Pilot activated electric boost pump; suspecting engine-driven fuel pump failure. Engine recovered momentarily to 36 inches manifold pressure; then went to idle 2-3 seconds later for approximately 5 seconds. Engine then recovered to approximately 20 degrees manifold pressure (as desired) for approximately 30 seconds. By then aircraft was down to 1100 ft MSL and approximately 140 KIAS; but only approximately 2 mi west of ZZZ. Engine failed completely 10 seconds later. Pilot declared emergency; lowered gear; flaps and landed uneventfully. Airspeed and altitude were sufficient to land safely; but insufficient time to cycle fuel tanks; attempt engine restart or even squawk 7700. On postflt inspection; fuel selector was still on main (verified approximately 30 gallons remaining); left tip tank was verified at 0; right tip tank was still approximately 20 gallons. Left tip tank sump valve was found slightly ajar. Left tip tank sump valve was re-seated (verified by a&P); tip tank was filled; boost pump re-primed and engine started immediately and ground run for 15-20 mins uneventfully. Conclusion: combination of 25% pilot error (failed to verify fuel in all tanks before flight; failed to verify tip tank sump valve fully seated by wetness test; failed to correctly identify and attempt to adjust for fuel loss in-flight; although possibly irrelevant due to nature of the mechanical valve failure). 5% maintenance error (failed to note fuel leaking over 2 days; parked aircraft in awkward position for thorough preflight to be performed). 70% mechanical failure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PLT OF A LIGHT SINGLE ENG ACFT EXPERIENCED ENG FAILURE BECAUSE OF FUEL STARVATION AS A RESULT OF AIR IN THE FUEL LINE.

Narrative: ENG FAILURE DUE TO FUEL STARVATION (MECHANICAL FAILURE). ON-ARPT ENG-OUT FORCED LNDG AT ZZZ RESULTED. NO DAMAGE. NO REPAIRS NEEDED. PREFLT PERFORMED POST-MAINT AT ZZZ1 SHOP RAMP. NORMAL PREFLT WAS PERFORMED; EXCEPT PLT WAS UNABLE TO REACH L TIP TANK FUEL SUMP DUE TO POS OF PLANE ON RAMP. PLT DID NOT NOTE FUEL AMOUNT IN TIP TANKS ON PREFLT; DUE TO FULL (35 GALLONS) MAIN TANK AND PLANNED 40 MIN FLT. AFTER NORMAL TKOF; A NORMAL CLBOUT FOR RETURN WAS PERFORMED. PLT NOTED R WING BEGAN TO FEEL 'HEAVY.' SUSPECTED AILERON TRIM TAB MAY HAVE BEEN BENT DOWN SLIGHTLY DURING MAINT; ALTHOUGH IT HAD APPEARED NORMAL DURING PREFLT. PLT THEN NOTED FUEL GAUGES INDICATED ALMOST FULL MAIN TANK (30 GALLONS); 20 GALLONS IN R TIP TANK; BUT 0 GALLONS INDICATED IN L TIP TANK (AUX TANK WAS EMPTY). TIP TANK GAUGES ARE ERRATIC AND NOTORIOUSLY INACCURATE; BUT AS A PRECAUTION; PLT ELECTED TO RETURN IMMEDIATELY TO HOME BASE DUE TO INCREASINGLY 'HVY' R WING. SHORTLY; THE ENG SURGED SLIGHTLY DURING CLBOUT. MIXTURE; PROP; AND PWR SETTINGS WERE NOTED TO BE NORMAL. ENG SURGED AGAIN APPROX 10 SECONDS LATER AND MANIFOLD PRESSURE DROPPED TO 20 INCHES FROM 26 INCHES. PLT ACTIVATED ELECTRIC BOOST PUMP; SUSPECTING ENG-DRIVEN FUEL PUMP FAILURE. ENG RECOVERED MOMENTARILY TO 36 INCHES MANIFOLD PRESSURE; THEN WENT TO IDLE 2-3 SECONDS LATER FOR APPROX 5 SECONDS. ENG THEN RECOVERED TO APPROX 20 DEGS MANIFOLD PRESSURE (AS DESIRED) FOR APPROX 30 SECONDS. BY THEN ACFT WAS DOWN TO 1100 FT MSL AND APPROX 140 KIAS; BUT ONLY APPROX 2 MI W OF ZZZ. ENG FAILED COMPLETELY 10 SECONDS LATER. PLT DECLARED EMER; LOWERED GEAR; FLAPS AND LANDED UNEVENTFULLY. AIRSPD AND ALT WERE SUFFICIENT TO LAND SAFELY; BUT INSUFFICIENT TIME TO CYCLE FUEL TANKS; ATTEMPT ENG RESTART OR EVEN SQUAWK 7700. ON POSTFLT INSPECTION; FUEL SELECTOR WAS STILL ON MAIN (VERIFIED APPROX 30 GALLONS REMAINING); L TIP TANK WAS VERIFIED AT 0; R TIP TANK WAS STILL APPROX 20 GALLONS. L TIP TANK SUMP VALVE WAS FOUND SLIGHTLY AJAR. L TIP TANK SUMP VALVE WAS RE-SEATED (VERIFIED BY A&P); TIP TANK WAS FILLED; BOOST PUMP RE-PRIMED AND ENG STARTED IMMEDIATELY AND GND RUN FOR 15-20 MINS UNEVENTFULLY. CONCLUSION: COMBINATION OF 25% PLT ERROR (FAILED TO VERIFY FUEL IN ALL TANKS BEFORE FLT; FAILED TO VERIFY TIP TANK SUMP VALVE FULLY SEATED BY WETNESS TEST; FAILED TO CORRECTLY IDENT AND ATTEMPT TO ADJUST FOR FUEL LOSS INFLT; ALTHOUGH POSSIBLY IRRELEVANT DUE TO NATURE OF THE MECHANICAL VALVE FAILURE). 5% MAINT ERROR (FAILED TO NOTE FUEL LEAKING OVER 2 DAYS; PARKED ACFT IN AWKWARD POS FOR THOROUGH PREFLT TO BE PERFORMED). 70% MECHANICAL FAILURE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.