What happened
During the final approach phase of flight, the pilot observed a warning light related to the fuel crossfeed system. In an attempt to resolve the issue, the crew attempted to troubleshoot the fuel system by cycling the right boost pump switch and resetting the auto crossfeed mechanism. Shortly after these actions, the pilot reported that the crossfeed light re-illuminated, followed by the activation of the right fuel pressure light. This was accompanied by a loss of power in the right engine.
Following the loss of power on the right side, the pilot feathered the right engine. However, the left engine subsequently experienced a loss of power as well. Unable to maintain flight, the pilot configured the aircraft for landing and performed a ditching in a lake located a short distance from the airport.
Findings
Post-accident inspections of the fuel system revealed significant discrepancies in fuel levels across the tanks. The fuel tanks located in the left wing were found to be empty, and the tank within the left nacelle had collapsed. On the right side, the wing tanks were also empty, though the right nacelle tank still contained 19 gallons of fuel. Despite these findings, subsequent functional checks of the fuel supply, transfer, and crossfeed systems demonstrated that all components were fully operational, and all cockpit fuel system indicators showed normal operation.