Incident Summary
A commercial pilot reported a partial power loss in the right engine during an instrument flight rules (IFR) cross-country flight. The pilot suspected the issue could be fuel starvation. While executing a visual approach to an alternate airport, the aircraft impacted trees short of the runway.
Flight Details
Following the partial power loss, the pilot continued to the alternate airport. The aircraft was configured with flaps and landing gear extended. The right propeller was not feathered. After the accident, the right auxiliary fuel pump switch was found in the HI position, the right fuel selector was OFF, and the left fuel selector was on X-FEED.
Post-Accident Examination
The pilot attributed the right engine power loss to a failure of the mechanical fuel pump and/or aneroid. The right auxiliary fuel pump was tested and found capable of pumping fluid. However, damage to the engine-driven (mechanical) pump precluded testing.
Checklists
The checklist for an engine-driven fuel pump failure notes that a lack of fuel flow indication while the auxiliary fuel pump is in the HI position could indicate fuel exhaustion. The single-engine landing checklist calls for extending the landing gear and flaps when the pilot is certain of reaching the airport, and also specifies feathering the propeller of the inoperative engine.