N5151N

On June 25, 1996, at 1810 central daylight time (cdt), a Loehle Aviation 5151RG, N5151N, piloted by a private pilot, was substantially damaged during an off airport forced landing following a total loss of engine power while on initial climb after takeoff. The personal 14 CFR Part 91 flight was not operating on a flight plan. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot reported no injuries. The flight departed Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, at 1640 cdt.

According to the Fond du Lac County Sheriff Department's incident report, the pilot said he had been "...flying for about an hour and a half... ." The report stated the pilot returned to the departure airport and did a touch and go landing. The pilot's written statement on NTSB Form 6120.1/2 stated, "On climbout the engine sputtered as I switched from [the] wing tanks to [the] fuselage tank, I mistakenly moved the fuel selector to the 'OFF' position."

The on-scene investigation revealed approximately 4 gallons of fuel in the fuselage tank. The fuel selector valve was cockpit floor mounted and located under the pilot's right leg. The Federal Aviation Administration Principal Operations Inspector (POI) representing the NTSB on-scene said he was unable to see the fuel selector valve's position when sitting in the cockpit. The POI also noted there were no valve detent positions to identify the individual valve positions, "Right," "Left," "Fuselage," or "OFF," when moving the selector handle. He said there was no type of movable stop to prevent the pilot from mistakenly moving the valve to the "OFF" position.