Accident Overview
A rental and instructional airplane sustained substantial damage when it impacted terrain during a forced landing. The accident occurred under dark night visual meteorological conditions. Post-impact inspection of the airplane showed that the fuel selectors were positioned to the main fuel tanks, and the right auxiliary fuel tank contained an estimated 5 to 10 gallons of fuel. All other fuel tanks contained no usable fuel.
Flight History
According to the pilot, when the engine experienced a total loss of power, a decision was made to enter a left downwind for runway 12. A straight-in approach to runway 30 was considered but would have left the airplane "a little high." The airplane struck terrain while on final approach for runway 12.
Pilot and Operational Information
The pilot and a pilot-rated passenger both held multiengine airplane certificates. The pilot also held a certified flight instructor (CFI) certificate with a single-engine airplane rating. The pilot-rated passenger held a CFI certificate with single-engine and multiengine land ratings. The operator stated that he had informed both pilots that there was no fuel in the auxiliary tanks, and that if the main fuel tanks were full, there was only three hours of fuel on board. The operator further noted that both pilots had used the accident airplane in their training for multiengine land airplane certificates and were aware of the airplane's fuel consumption rate. The purpose of the flight was for both pilots to accumulate flight time.
Aircraft Information
The airplane was certified under Civil Air Regulations as a normal category airplane and was not equipped with shoulder harnesses.