Accident Overview
A training flight involving an instructor, a trainee pilot, and two passengers (also pilots) ended with a forced landing after both engines failed. The aircraft was conducting local type conversion training. The instructor and student pilot had miscommunication regarding fuel loading, which resulted in the front fuel tanks being empty during the flight.
Flight Sequence
On the third circuit following a touch-and-go landing on runway 06L, the right-hand engine failed shortly after takeoff. The aircraft was flown at low altitude in a left-hand circuit in an attempt to land on runway 17. During this circuit, the left-hand engine also failed. The aircraft then collided with and severed three 11kV electrical conductors before executing a forced landing with the landing gear retracted. The landing occurred north of FALA, approximately 1 km from the threshold of runway 17.
Fuel System and Mismanagement
The aircraft is equipped with three fuel tanks in each wing: Front, Rear Auxiliary, and Auxiliary tanks. A single fuel quantity gauge is connected to a seven-position selector knob that determines which tank is measured. During the flight, the left and right front tanks were selected on the gauge selector. The initial on-site inspection revealed that both front tanks were empty. The student pilot, who was undergoing conversion training, refueled the aircraft prior to the flight. He stated that he uplifted 70 litres of fuel into each "inboard auxiliary" tank and that what he presumed to be the "main" tanks were filled to capacity. The instructor stated that upon his arrival, the student told him that he had filled the "mains" and that the "centre aux." tanks were partially filled. The instructor also stated that the "main" tanks were selected for the duration of the flight.
Injuries and Damage
The pilot sustained only minor injuries, and no one else was injured. The aircraft suffered damage from the collision with power lines and the gear-up forced landing.