What happened
A commercial pilot and a flight instructor were performing their initial long-duration aerial observation mission in a recently acquired multiengine airplane. After completing a five-hour observation period, the crew began their return flight to the destination airport. Approximately 15 miles from the airfield, a fuel warning light activated for the left engine, followed shortly by a loss of power in the right engine.
In an attempt to reach a closer alternate airport, the crew engaged the electric fuel pumps. This caused the right engine to surge, after which the left engine also lost power. Despite switching the electric fuel pumps to the low setting, both engines continued to surge. As the aircraft approached the alternate airport, roughly 3 miles from the runway, both engines suffered a complete loss of power. The crew decided to perform an emergency landing on a nearby highway.
During the final moments of the descent, a brief restoration of power to the left engine caused the aircraft to climb and roll. To avoid an obstacle, the pilot pulled the yoke back, which induced an aerodynamic stall. The aircraft subsequently struck trees and the ground, resulting in significant damage to the fuselage and wings. There were no fatalities among the two occupants.
Findings
While the pilots believed that 20 gallons of fuel remained in each tank when the engines failed, the flight instructor later determined that the aircraft was actually out of fuel at the time of the accident. An investigation by the FAA revealed that both fuel tanks had been breached, and no evidence of fuel spillage was found at the crash site.