Accident Overview
Approximately forty seconds after takeoff, the pilot radioed that he had an emergency and was banking the airplane hard to the left to return to runway 21. Controllers informed the pilot that runway 21 was not cleared and that he could land on runway 33. The airplane subsequently collided with the ground between runways 21 and 33.
Fuel System Examination
Post-accident examination of the aircraft revealed the left hand fuel selector was selected to the main tank position. Approximately one quart of fuel was drained from this tank; three gallons are considered unusable. The right hand fuel selector was found selected to the auxiliary fuel tank position, with at least five gallons of fuel present in that tank. Neither the left main nor the right auxiliary tanks were breached.
The airplane was fitted with tip tanks installed under a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC). The tip tank switches located on the instrument panel were found in the auxiliary or off position. The tip tanks were breached and fire damaged.
Flight Manual Compliance
The airplane's flight manual calls for takeoff and landing to be performed using the main fuel tanks only.
Mechanical Findings
The post-accident examination of the airframe and subsystems failed to disclose any mechanical problems or component failures.