What happened
Prior to takeoff, the pilot completed refueling for the multi-engine airplane. During the flight toward the intended destination, the pilot observed an imbalance in the fuel levels, noting that the left tank was approximately half full while the right main tank appeared nearly empty. In an attempt to rectify this, the pilot began the crossfeed procedure to draw fuel from the left tank to power both engines.
Shortly after initiating this procedure, both engines suffered a complete loss of power. The pilot alerted air traffic control and identified a suitable field for an emergency landing. During the approach, the right engine experienced a sudden surge of power, which caused the aircraft to roll toward the left. This surge ceased, and the pilot proceeded with the forced landing by deploying the flaps and landing gear.
The aircraft struck the ground and came to a stop in an open field. While the impact resulted in ruptured fuel tanks, there was no significant amount of residual fuel at the crash site. A minor fuel slick was observed in a nearby pond, but the lack of dead grass beneath the wings suggested that the fuel levels were negligible at the moment of impact.
Findings
- The engines lost all power shortly after the pilot attempted to use the crossfeed system.
- The fuel levels in the tanks were nearly depleted at the time of the accident.
- Post-impact inspections of the airframe and engines showed no mechanical defects that would have prevented standard operation.