What happened
Immediately following takeoff, the pilot reported that the left engine lost power. The pilot verified that the throttles, propellers, and mixture were all in the full forward position and believed the fuel selector was set to "on," though he noted that he had checked the selectors by feel only.
After attempting to recycle the left engine feather control without success, the pilot decided to perform a gear-up landing. He retracted the landing gear and made a second attempt to feather the left engine, which also failed. As the aircraft's airspeed decayed to 78 knots—below the Vmc of 83 knots—the pilot was unable to maintain altitude or airspeed. At an estimated altitude of 150 to 200 feet, the pilot elected to land on an interstate highway before a Vmc roll could occur.
The aircraft traveled in a southerly direction into the northbound lanes of the highway, striking a light pole with the left wing and subsequently hitting seven vehicles. The two occupants evacuated the aircraft after the passenger noted they were sitting in a puddle of fuel. During the evacuation, the pilot stated that he accidentally moved the fuel selectors to the crossfeed position while attempting to return them to the "on" position.
The investigation
Investigators examined the fuel selectors at the crash site and found both engine fuel selectors in the crossfeed position. A test run of the left engine revealed no discrepancies, and fuel was present in the engine. Visual inspections of the fuel showed no evidence of water or contamination. Additionally, an examination of the right engine revealed no discrepancies.