Incident Overview
The aircraft collided with terrain while executing a forced landing in Covington, Georgia. The commercial pilot and his pilot-rated passenger had completed a flight from Peachtree City, Georgia, and were in the traffic pattern at Covington Municipal Airport for a visual approach when the aircraft lost power in both engines. The power loss occurred as the aircraft turned from the base leg to final approach.
Flight Details
During the cruise portion of the flight, the pilots had operated with the fuel selector in the auxiliary fuel tanks position. They switched the fuel selector to the main fuel tanks position while turning onto the downwind leg of the traffic pattern. Shortly thereafter, while on final approach, both engines lost power, prompting the pilots to attempt a forced landing.
Fuel Findings
Post-incident examination of the fuel system revealed that less than 42 ounces of fuel was drained from the left auxiliary tank. Additionally, less than one gallon of fuel was drained from the right auxiliary tank. The main tip tanks were found to contain 35 gallons of fuel each.