On March 22, 1988, a Piper PA-23-250 (registration N62526) operated by Viking Express was involved in an aviation accident near Excelsior Spgs, MO. This summary draws on records from the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) historical archive; 2 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
During a night arrival, after switching to outboard fuel tanks, both engines lost power. The pilot declared an emergency but could not reach the airport. The aircraft collided with trees during an emergency landing; no usable fuel was found.
Event
While arriving at night, the pilot had been using fuel from the inboard tanks. At some point, the pilot switched to the outboard fuel tanks. Shortly after this change, both engines lost power. The pilot declared an emergency and received vectors to the nearest airport but was unable to reach it.
Emergency Landing
The aircraft subsequently collided with trees during an emergency landing. The accident site was located approximately one-half to one mile from the airport.
Fuel Investigation
No usable fuel was found in the aircraft. Additionally, there was no evidence of fuel spillage at the accident scene.