What happened
During a nighttime approach to Minneapolis-St Paul Airport, an aircraft experienced a simultaneous loss of power in both engines. This mechanical failure resulted from the total depletion of available fuel. Following the engine failure, the aircraft type entered a stall condition, leading to a descent that ended in a collision with two residential structures located several miles before reaching the runway.
The impact caused the complete destruction of both houses and the aircraft itself. There were two fatalities among the occupants on board the plane; however, no injuries or deaths were reported for the residents on the ground.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified that the primary reason for the dual engine failure was fuel exhaustion. Several contributing factors were noted in the official report:
- The pilot did not perform a refueling stop at Duluth Airport prior to the flight
- Ineffective management of the remaining fuel supply
- Insufficient preparation during the preflight phase
- The failure to refuel before proceeding with the flight plan
- Presence of high obstructions in the area