Incident Overview
While on downwind, the airplane experienced a loss of engine power and collided with houses and other obstacles during a forced landing on a residential neighborhood street. The pilot had taken off to troubleshoot a landing gear anomaly, departing the airport area to the south. He cycled the landing gear and, after receiving questionable cockpit indications, requested another aircraft to confirm the gear position. Once confirmation that all three wheels were down was obtained, he proceeded back to the airport.
Engine Power Loss
Approximately 2 miles from the airport and at about 1,800 feet above ground level, the right engine began to lose power. The pilot troubleshot the engine by attempting a restart, cycling the fuel pump off and on, and selecting the right auxiliary fuel tank. The right engine regained some power. During this process, the aircraft lost some altitude.
Emergency Landing
The pilot raised the landing gear to reduce drag and entered right-hand traffic for runway 17. At this point, the left engine lost power, the airplane turned left, and the pilot entered a descent to maintain airspeed. He put the left propeller in feather and switched to a new fuel tank, but the engine did not regain power. With no altitude to exchange for airspeed, he steered the airplane towards a clear residential street. The airplane impacted the roofs of at least two houses before colliding with the street.
Post-Accident Examination
The pilot egressed through the rear of the airplane. An FAA inspector who examined the wreckage noted very little evidence of fuel onboard. The pilot stated that the left engine failed due to fuel starvation, and that he had fuel onboard but it was not in the right places.
Probable Cause
The official finding attributed the accident to fuel starvation due to the pilot's failure to adequately manage and monitor his fuel supply.