Incident Overview
Air traffic control cleared the aircraft for an instrument landing system (ILS) approach. As the airplane approached the glideslope intercept point, both engines lost power. Controllers vectored the airplane toward a nearby airport. After the aircraft exited the clouds, the pilot determined that the flight could not reach the intended airport.
Forced Landing and Accident Sequence
The pilot initiated a forced landing to a field. During the landing roll, the airplane crossed a road, and the right wing struck a tree. Subsequently, the nose landing gear separated when it struck a dirt berm. The airplane came to a stop in an upright position.
Fuel System Examination
Post-accident examination of the fuel system revealed that the aft main tank contained between one-third and one-half full of fuel, while the forward main tank was 90% full. The cockpit fuel selector for the main tanks was found in the NORMAL position. With the selector in the NORMAL position, the aft main tank supplies fuel to the left engine, and the forward main tank supplies fuel to the right engine. No discrepancies were found in the fuel system. When the fuel boost pumps were activated, fuel flowed from the fuel supply lines. The left and right airframe fuel filters, as well as the left and right engine fuel filters, each contained fuel.
Engine Examination
Examination of both engines revealed no anomalies that would have precluded the operation of the engines.
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that at the time of the dual engine failure, the fuel selector was positioned to select the aft tank, thereby feeding both engines from the aft fuel tank. He further reported that when both engines failed, he immediately switched the fuel selector to "NORMAL." The aircraft's flight manual directs the pilot to position the fuel selector to "NORMAL" prior to takeoff and for landing.