Accident Summary
On the last leg of a scheduled commuter flight, the aircraft crashed in a heavily wooded area while executing a visual flight rules (VFR) approach to Merrill Field in Anchorage, Alaska. The captain and the sole passenger were killed when the airplane struck the ground upside-down in a near-vertical attitude.
Pre-Accident Events
The aircraft's copilot had deplaned minutes before the accident flight. He stated that he did not observe the captain use the aircraft's auxiliary fuel tanks at any point during that evening's earlier flights.
Fuel System Information
The aircraft's main fuel tanks held 100 gallons of usable fuel. Investigators estimated that the airplane would have consumed slightly more than 100 gallons of fuel by the time of the accident. While ample fuel remained in the auxiliary tanks, the investigation noted that an engine restart cannot be readily accomplished if the auxiliary tanks are not selected before the engine quits.
Additional Details
The accident occurred in a heavily wooded area. No further information was provided regarding the aircraft type, registration, or operator.