Accident Overview
The pilot of a twin-engine airplane lost control and collided with terrain while attempting to return to the departure airport after reporting an engine problem shortly after takeoff. The accident occurred approximately 2 miles from the airport.
Flight Sequence
After takeoff, at about 4,000 feet mean sea level, the pilot informed air traffic control of an engine problem and stated his intention to return. Radar data showed a steady descent from that altitude to the accident site. Ground witnesses reported seeing the airplane flying very low, approximately 500 feet above ground level, seconds before the accident. They described the airplane "wobbling," then entering a steep knife-edge left bank before diving into the ground.
Pre-Flight and Fuel Information
Before departure, the pilot sought assistance with his radios, indicating he had not flown in four and a half months and was unfamiliar with the equipment. No fueling records were found at the departure airport; the last documented fueling was on October 31, 2002, with 56.2 gallons. Witnesses stated that the airplane did not take on fuel immediately prior to the May 4 flight. This flight was the first since the airplane received its annual inspection two months earlier, and it was the pilot's first flight after four months of inactivity.
Wreckage Examination
Post-accident examination revealed a fire on the right wing but no fire on the left wing. Only a small amount of fuel was found around the left wing tanks, and no hydraulic deformation of the left main tank or internal baffles was observed. The landing gear bellcrank indicated the gear was extended. The left engine and propeller showed signatures of low power (windmilling), while the right engine indicated high power. The left propeller was not feathered.
Operational Considerations
The left engine is the critical engine; loss of power on that side makes directional control more difficult at slower speeds. The airplane owner's manual states that climb or continued level flight at moderate altitude is improbable with landing gear extended or propeller windmilling. The single-engine flight procedure requires a higher than normal altitude for a successful approach.
Probable Cause
The probable cause is the pilot's failure to properly configure the airplane for an engine-inoperative condition, specifically failure to feather the propeller of the affected engine, retract the landing gear, and maintain minimum single-engine speed. Factors contributing to the accident were fuel starvation of the left engine due to inadequate fuel supply in the left tanks, inoperative fuel transfer pumps, and the pilot's decision to take off without fueling.