What happened
A 4.5-hour round-robin flight was conducted from Schaumburg, Illinois, to Eagle River, Wisconsin, and back. The aircraft departed Schaumburg with approximately 84 gallons of fuel and did not undergo refueling before the return leg of the trip. Prior to departing Eagle River for the return to Schaumburg, the pilot reported having 24 gallons in the main tanks and 4 gallons in each tip tank.
During the takeoff from Eagle River, the cabin door was unsecured, necessitating a return landing at the Eagle River Airport. On the subsequent flight attempt back toward Schaumburg, the engine experienced several instances of power loss. The pilot managed to temporarily restore engine power by switching between different fuel tanks.
Unable to locate a local airport, the pilot elected to land the aircraft in a street. During the landing sequence, the airplane struck parked vehicles and a residence. Both the pilot and the front passenger were not wearing shoulder harnesses at the time of the accident. Weather conditions at the time involved light to moderate rain with lightning and thunderstorms in the area.
The investigation
During the investigation, 46 ounces of fuel were drained from the left wing. Following examination, the engine was found to run successfully at all power applications, and no mechanical discrepancies were noted.