Incident Overview
During a flight to his destination, the pilot reported lowering the landing gear and flaps to perform a low pass over an oil rig. The purpose was to alert someone on the ground to pick him up at the destination. After completing the pass, he applied power to continue to the airport. At that time, the left engine did not respond. The pilot described the engine behavior as if the fuel had been cut off.
Emergency Landing
Observing a road ahead, the pilot decided to land immediately because he was concerned that the other engine might also lose power. During the landing roll, the left tip tank struck a tree. The aircraft subsequently veered into a ditch, and the nose landing gear collapsed.
Pilot Statements
The pilot stated that he had not serviced the airplane before takeoff. He estimated that 50 gallons of fuel were on board at departure. The flight duration was one hour and 25 minutes, and the pilot reported that the flight would have required approximately 280 pounds of fuel. The pilot stated that there was no mechanical malfunction or failure.
Conclusion
The pilot reported no mechanical malfunction or failure. No further details were provided.