What happened
The pilot departed Elyria with 12 to 13 gallons of fuel in each outboard tank and 25 gallons in each inboard tank. After a stop at Carrollton, where no refueling took place, the pilot returned to the original airport. Upon entering the traffic pattern, the pilot observed that the manifold pressure on the left engine was higher than that of the right engine.
Distracted by sun glare, the pilot executed a go-around. After extending out from the departure end of the runway, the pilot performed a 180-degree turn to land on the runway in the opposite direction. As the pilot aligned the aircraft for landing, the left engine began to run rough. During the process of looking for the runway, the airspeed dropped below Vmc. The aircraft subsequently impacted the terrain.
The investigation
An examination of the wreckage provided details regarding the remaining fuel levels in the tanks. The right inboard tank was 2 inches below full, and the right outboard tank contained fuel up to 1 inch below full. In the left tanks, the left outboard tank contained 1 inch of fuel on a stick placed in the tank, while there was no visible fuel in the left inboard tank. Although the pilot reported remaining on the inboard tanks for the duration of the flight, the investigation noted the lack of fuel in the left inboard tank.