What happened
The pilot had fueled the aircraft to the 50-gallon level, reaching the bottom of the filler necks, prior to departing on the first leg of a flight to Ontario, Canada. While approximately 14 miles from landing at Charleston, West Virginia, the engine lost power. The pilot attempted to switch fuel tanks, which allowed the engine to restart.
However, approximately six to eight minutes later, the engine lost power a second time and would not restart. The terrain in the vicinity was characterized by hilly and mountainous landscape. During the attempt at an emergency landing, the aircraft struck a tree, impacted a road, and hit a utility pole before coming to a final stop.
The investigation
Investigators identified fuel streaks along the left side of the fuselage, located aft of the engine cowling. A detailed examination revealed that the fuel pressure line (part number 21163-00) had failed inside the engine compartment. The failure occurred approximately 2.5 inches from the connection point to the fuel pressure hose assembly.
Findings
A metallurgical examination determined that the failure of the fuel pressure line was caused by fatigue.