What happened
On the day of the accident, a flight departed from Canton Regional Airport in Canton, Ohio, bound for Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport. The pilot was traveling to attend a medical conference. According to the pilot's account, the aircraft's fuel tanks were fully loaded at the start of the journey, with a specific plan to utilize inboard tanks for the initial ninety minutes followed by the outboard tanks for the subsequent two hours.
During the descent phase, approximately 12 miles north of Palm Beach International Airport in Florida, the left engine stopped functioning. Upon this failure, the pilot observed that the fuel indicators for the inboard tanks indicated they were empty. Although the pilot transitioned to the outboard tanks, which showed approximately one-quarter of their capacity remaining, both engines began to surge two minutes later. After transmitting an emergency radio call, the pilot was directed toward Tailwinds Airport, located 4 miles to the west. However, the aircraft was unable to reach the runway, and the pilot performed a forced landing in a nearby orange grove.
Findings
Post-accident investigations of the crash site showed that the aircraft type sustained significant damage, and very little fuel was found at the wreckage location. While the pilot reported no prior mechanical issues or system malfunctions, the investigation into the engines and the fuel system found no specific anomalies. The primary factor in the loss of power was unexpected fuel exhaustion in the inboard tanks.