Incident Overview
During an instrument flight rules cross-country flight, the pilot of a multi-engine, retractable landing gear airplane encountered engine problems at approximately 5,000 feet above mean sea level. The left engine surged several times, prompting the pilot to perform an emergency shutdown. Shortly afterwards, the right engine lost power. While descending for an emergency landing, the airplane struck treetops and landed hard in a field with the landing gear retracted.
Damage Assessment
Post-accident examination revealed substantial damage to both wings, the engine mounts, and the lower fuselage.
Pilot Statement
The pilot reported that he had requested 200 gallons of fuel from the fixed base operator at his home airport, but the airplane was not fueled. During the preflight inspection, the pilot did not check the fuel quantity. He stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Regulatory Guidance
According to the Federal Aviation Administration Airplane Flying Handbook (Chapter 2, page 2-7), pilots must always positively confirm the fuel quantity by visually inspecting the fuel level in each tank.
Probable Cause
The accident's probable cause was the pilot's improper preflight inspection of the fuel level, which resulted in a loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to lower the landing gear before the emergency landing.