Observations
A witness located near the departure end of the runway saw the airplane initially climb in a normal manner. Subsequently, the aircraft remained below the clouds, executed a shallow bank 180-degree left turn, and descended below a tree line. Audio recordings from the tower revealed that the pilot twice transmitted that he was "coming back" to the airport. During these transmissions, the background sound of the "fuel selector off" warning horn was heard. The pilot then informed the controller, "I've got to get back," and no warning horn was audible. The airplane collided with trees and came to rest approximately 6,500 feet south-southeast of the runway's end.
Fuel Management
Prior to departure, the airplane was refueled with 40 gallons of Jet A fuel (20 gallons per tank), which increased the total fuel load to 148 gallons. The flight manual required that the fuel balance between the left and right tanks be kept within 200 pounds. It suggested turning off one fuel selector to correct unbalance situations. The condition of one fuel selector being turned off will cause the "fuel selector off" warning horn to sound.
Examination
Examination of the aircraft revealed no evidence of preimpact failures. Propeller blade butt signatures indicated that the propeller was operating in the governing range, and engine power was being produced at impact.