Forced Landing After Dual Engine Power Loss Due to Fuel Selector Malfunction (N4332P)

Incident Overview and Pilot Report During the previous flight, the pilot reported that the right engine experienced power fluctuations when the right auxiliary fuel tank was selected. The pilot noted that the right fuel selector was stiff and hard to move, but the engine operated without anomalies when the selector was returned to the main fuel tank position. The flight continued for approximately 1.5 hours until the left engine began experiencing power fluctuations, prompting a precautionary landing at Casey Municipal Airport. After landing, the auxiliary fuel tanks were still full, the right main fuel tank was half full, and the left main fuel tank was nearly empty. The pilot attributed the low left main fuel level to a gas heater that had been burning more fuel than documented. The pilot ground tested the engines on different fuel selector positions prior to refueling, noting no anomalies. The airplane was then completely refueled, and the pilot reported no fuel contamination when sampling all fuel tanks after refueling. The pilot stated he was very confident that the initial loss of right engine power was because he had momentarily positioned the right fuel selector in the off position prior to selecting the auxiliary tank. An extensive engine run-up was performed, and all indications were very acceptable. The takeoff was uneventful until the point where the landing gear would normally have been retracted. At this point, the right engine began experiencing power fluctuations similar to the first occurrence. The pilot continued to climb as he entered a left traffic pattern to return to the airport. Fuel cross-feed was selected, but the left engine also began to experience power fluctuations. While the airplane was on crosswind, it entered a downward spiral. The pilot attempted to level the wings using full right aileron. The pilot stated that rudder input was as demanding as it was random due to the varied yaw moments of the aircraft with power spurts from each engine. The pilot reported not having time to decide which engine to feather, as both were producing random power output. The pilot kicked in full right rudder as a last resort to bring the wings level, which worked, and the passenger joined the pilot in pulling aft on the yoke to reach a pitch up attitude for impact. The aircraft sustained substantial damage during the forced landing after takeoff, following the loss of power on both engines. ## On-Scene Investigation A Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector performed the on-scene investigation. The inspector reported that the fuel selector valves were in an intermediate or closed position. The inspector stated that the cabling between the fuel gauge switch assemblies and the selector arms were corroded and seized. The inspector reported that the cockpit fuel selector handles moved with resistance and would not reposition their respective valves. The inspector stated that the valves functioned as designed when they were disconnected from the seized control cable.