Accident Details
Before departure, the pilot performed fuel calculations and believed he had sufficient fuel to reach the intended destination. During the flight, the pilot maneuvered around thunderstorms. Upon arrival, the pilot conducted an instrument landing system approach for runway 16. While on short final, the right engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot then switched fuel flow from the right tank to the left tank, after which the left engine also lost power. The pilot executed an emergency landing on a road. During the landing, the airplane struck a tree, resulting in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage.
Post-Accident Examination
A postaccident examination revealed only a few gallons of unusable fuel in the left fuel tank. The right fuel tank was breached during the accident sequence, but no fuel smell was noticed. The pilot conducted another fuel calculation after the accident and determined that the aircraft actually had 170 gallons of fuel onboard, rather than the 230 gallons he originally figured. The pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation, and he concluded that he exhausted the entire fuel supply.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause is the pilot's improper fuel planning and management, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.