Accident Overview
On March 21, 2013, about 0840 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-23-250, registration N625SR, was substantially damaged during a forced landing into trees approximately 4 miles southwest of Perry, Florida. The airline transport pilot, the sole occupant, received minor injuries. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The flight originated at Orlando Executive Airport (ORL), Orlando, Florida, about 0735 with an intended destination of Tallahassee Regional Airport (TLH), Tallahassee, Florida. The flight was conducted under Part 91 as an executive/corporate operation.
Flight History
According to the pilot, while in cruise flight, the left fuel flow was fluctuating. He activated the electric fuel pump, and the fuel flow stabilized. After a few minutes, he deactivated the electric pump, and the fuel flow remained stable. He then began a descent from 8,000 feet mean sea level and switched to the "full" outboard fuel tanks. Subsequently, the right engine lost power and then experienced a total loss of power. The pilot feathered the right propeller and set the right mixture to idle cut-off. He informed Tallahassee Approach Control of the engine failure and initially elected to continue to TLH. Shortly thereafter, the left engine also lost all power. The pilot maneuvered toward Perry-Foley Airport (40J) in Perry, Florida, and declared an emergency. The airplane impacted 16-foot-tall pine trees before coming to rest upright.
Fuel System and Examination
Local authorities reported a strong fuel aroma at the accident site. A fuel receipt from a fixed base operator indicated that two days before the accident, the airplane was fueled with 94.1 gallons of fuel. The pilot stated that the aircraft fuel was full. Post-accident fuel sampling revealed no contamination. The FBO reported that about 1,000 gallons of fuel had been pumped from the time the accident airplane was fueled until notification of the accident.
Photographs provided by an FAA inspector showed substantial damage to both wings, fuselage, and empennage. The left wingtip fuel tank had separated from the airplane. Engine continuity was confirmed, but cylinder compression checks could not be performed. Fuel lines removed from the electric boost pumps and engine-driven pumps contained fuel. The left engine flow divider contained fuel; the right flow divider was devoid of fuel. Continuity was verified from throttle and mixture controls to the fuel servos, and from fuel selectors to shut-off valves. However, the tank selected at impact was not noted. All magneto switches were found in the "ON" position. The pilot reported switching the fuel selector valve from the inboard to the outboard tanks just before the failure, starting with the right engine and then the left.
The fuel system comprised two independent units, each with inboard and outboard bladder tanks and an interconnected wingtip tank. Outboard cells had a capacity of about 55 gallons each, inboard cells about 35 gallons each, for a total of about 180 gallons. Fuel flowed through finger screens to selector valves, then to either the engine-driven pump or electric pump. A crossfeed valve allowed fuel from one set of tanks to feed the opposite engine after passing through the engine-driven pump.
Wreckage Recovery
A representative of the salvage company that recovered the airplane reported that the fuel tanks were breached and devoid of fuel, and a strong fuel smell was present at the accident location. The wreckage was sold and was not available for examination by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Consequently, no determination could be made as to why both engines lost power.