Accident Summary
On July 26, 2018, at about 1755 eastern daylight time, a Beech C90, registration N717X, sustained substantial damage during a forced landing to a field near Lecanto, Florida. The forced landing was necessitated by a total loss of power on both engines. The commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane was registered to LILSA KA LLC and operated as a personal flight under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and no flight plan was filed.
Flight Details
The flight originated from Brooksville-Tampa Bay Regional Airport (BKV) at about 1740, destined for Williston Municipal Airport (X60). Earlier that day, the pilot had flown from X60 to BKV for brake maintenance and purchased 40 gallons of fuel (20 per wing). The pilot estimated a total fuel load of 870 lbs (about 130 gallons total). After waiting for convective weather to subside, the pilot departed and flew west then north along the coast due to scattered thunderstorms. While over Crystal River Airport (CGC), the left engine experienced power surges, then lost all power. The pilot turned toward CGC and flew a wide right downwind pattern for runway 27 while troubleshooting. During the turn to base leg, the left engine lost all power; subsequently on final approach, the right engine also lost all power. Unsure of reaching the runway, the pilot elected to perform a forced landing to a field. During the landing roll, the right wing struck a tree.
Fuel System and Wreckage Examination
The Beech C90 is equipped with six fuel tanks: two interconnected tanks in each wing and one tank in each engine nacelle. Fuel flows from the wing tanks to the nacelle tank, then to the engine. Gravity feed from wing tanks to nacelle tanks is effective only when wing tanks contain more than about 28 gallons per side; below that, fuel transfer pumps (one per wing/nacelle) must be operating to maintain fuel flow. The after-starting and taxi checklist includes an instruction to turn the fuel transfer pumps on.
Examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed the airplane came to rest upright about 4 miles east of CGC. Substantial damage was limited to the right wing. A local mechanic inspected the wreckage and noted the fuel transfer pumps were in the off position. Furthermore, no fuel was observed in the nacelle tanks, while approximately 30 gallons of fuel remained in each wing tank. When the battery and fuel transfer pumps were subsequently turned on, fuel began flowing from the wing tanks to the nacelle tanks.