Flight Details
A commercial pilot, who was also the owner of the aircraft, departed on a cross-country flight from Orlando, Florida, to Salisbury, Maryland, under an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan. The pilot stated that all five fuel tanks were topped off and verified as full before departure. A fueler provided a written statement confirming that he added 100 gallons of fuel and that the fuel tank levels were topped off.
Aircraft Fuel System
The aircraft was equipped with two main tanks, two large-capacity auxiliary tanks (each with 31.5 gallons of useable fuel), and a locker tank. The total useable fuel capacity was 183 gallons.
In-Flight Events
As the airplane approached Maryland, the pilot requested weather for White Plains, New York (HPN) and subsequently changed his destination to HPN. While approaching the New York area at 21,000 feet, air traffic control (ATC) instructed the pilot to fly a published arrival procedure and maintain an altitude of 16,000 feet. Due to poor weather and air traffic congestion, the pilot became concerned about possible delays and informed ATC that he had "minimal fuel." He did not declare an emergency.
ATC issued a descent clearance, and the pilot reduced both throttles to idle. In preparation to level off at the new altitude, he increased power on both throttles, and the right engine stopped producing power. Unable to maintain the assigned altitude, the pilot advised the controller that he had "lost an engine, and needed vectors to the nearest runway." The left engine stopped producing power approximately two minutes later.
Ditching and Aftermath
The pilot ditched the airplane and exited before it sank. The aircraft was not recovered. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical problems with the airplane before the flight.