Background
A pilot flew from Elyria to Carrollton and back without refueling at Carrollton. The aircraft had 12 to 13 gallons of fuel in each outboard tank and 25 gallons in each inboard tank at departure.
Sequence of Events
Upon returning to Elyria, the pilot entered the traffic pattern and noticed higher manifold pressure on the left engine compared to the right. Distracted by sun glare, he executed a go-around. After extending from the departure end of the runway, he performed a 180-degree turn to land in the opposite direction. As he aligned the aircraft for landing, the left engine began to run rough. The pilot reported that airspeed dropped below Vmc while he looked for the runway, and he could not recall any further events before the aircraft impacted terrain.
Examination Findings
Examination of the wreckage revealed the following fuel quantities: left inboard tank had no visible fuel, left outboard tank had 1 inch of fuel on a dipstick, right inboard tank was 2 inches below full, and right outboard tank was 1 inch below full. The pilot stated that he had used only the inboard tanks during the entire trip.