What happened
A pilot, who had purchased the twin-engine airplane approximately two days prior to the flight, was conducting a Title 14, CFR Part 91 cross-country flight. The intended destination was an airport located roughly 908 miles from the departure point. The aircraft was equipped with auxiliary wingtip fuel tanks and had a total fuel capacity of 192 gallons, with an estimated endurance of 7.5 to 8 hours and a consumption rate of approximately 23 gallons per hour.
Five hours and 12 minutes after takeoff, the pilot reported that the main fuel tanks were empty after consuming an estimated 122 gallons. Although the fuel gauges for the auxiliary wingtip tanks indicated they were 1/4 full—suggesting approximately 50 gallons of fuel should have remained—the pilot was unable to successfully draw fuel from them. Despite attempting every available fuel tank and cross-feed combination, both engines began surging and subsequently lost power. The pilot performed a ditching approximately 829 miles from the departure location. The aircraft sank in deep water and was not recovered.
Findings
The investigation determined that the pilot experienced fuel exhaustion in the main tanks and was unable to utilize the remaining fuel in the auxiliary wingtip tanks.