Background
The pilot of a charter flight had completed a trip and departed to pick up new passengers at an airport approximately 200 nautical miles away. While on approach to the destination airport, the previous passengers informed the pilot that they were ready to be collected. Consequently, the pilot did not land and turned the aircraft back toward the departure airport.
Flight Details
During the return, the pilot climbed to 10,000 feet and noticed that the airplane's fuel consumption was high. To improve fuel efficiency, he ascended further to 16,000 feet. The pilot reported that the flight was routine until reaching about a 3-mile final approach to the runway. At that point, the air traffic controller requested that the pilot slow to a final approach speed. Another airplane was still occupying the runway, so the controller instructed the pilot to execute a go-around.
The pilot informed the controller twice that he had minimum fuel available. Despite this, he continued with a visual approach for the same runway. During the approach, the right engine lost power, followed shortly by the left engine. The pilot feathered both propellers and performed a forced landing into a wooded area.
Damage and Pilot Statements
The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, both wings, and the empennage. The pilot reported no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have prevented normal operation. He later stated that he was "trying to do too much with too little" fuel and that the accident resulted from poor fuel management. The investigation noted that although the controller directed the go-around, the pilot should have recognized the criticality of the minimum fuel situation and landed the airplane.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause determined by the investigation was the pilot's improper fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and a subsequent forced landing. Also causal was the pilot's decision to go around with minimum fuel.