What happened
While operating in cruise flight at 8,000 feet, the aircraft experienced a loss of power in both engines within 30 seconds of each other. The pilot attempted to restart both engines, noting that they would occasionally run for approximately three to four seconds before stopping again.
Air traffic control vectored the aircraft toward an airport; however, the pilot was unable to reach the destination. This resulted in an off-airport landing.
The investigation
The pilot reported that following the loss of power, he switched the fuel selector from the inboard tanks to the outboard tanks. Upon examination of the aircraft, investigators found approximately 3 to 4 tablespoons of fuel remaining in each carburetor.
Further inspection of the fuel system revealed that the outboard fuel tanks were empty, while the inboard fuel tanks still contained fuel. The left fuel selector was found positioned to the outboard tanks. The right fuel selector was damaged, and its position could not be determined.