Incident Overview
At an undetermined point in time, the bracket that supported the fuel flow transducer for the airplane's fuel monitoring system failed. This failure allowed the transducer to vibrate, which ultimately led to the loosening of the B-nut on the fuel line leading to the transducer.
Fuel Loss and Engine Power Loss
Because the B-nut became almost completely disconnected from the transducer, approximately 40 gallons of fuel was lost overboard during the flight. Since the leak was upstream of the transducer, the fuel management system did not detect or display the loss of fuel. Consequently, the engine lost power due to fuel exhaustion.
Forced Landing and Runway Excursion
The pilot executed a forced landing at a non-controlled airport. When it appeared that the airplane could not stop prior to departing the end of the runway and encountering a steep drop-off, the pilot intentionally exited the side of the runway surface. After the airplane exited the side of the runway, it entered rough terrain.
Damage Details
The rough terrain caused a collapse of the left main landing gear. This collapse resulted in substantial damage to both the left wing and the aft fuselage.