Accident Sequence
A pilot and a pilot-rated passenger departed from their home at a residential airpark, which had no fuel services, intending to fly to an airport about 37 miles away. Shortly after takeoff, the passenger expressed concern about the airplane's apparent low fuel state. The pilot responded that one fuel gauge always indicated more fuel than the other and that if needed, they could use fuel from that tank.
Approximately 15 minutes into the flight, the pilot contacted air traffic control and reported the airplane was critically low on fuel. About 5 minutes later, both engines experienced a total loss of power. The airplane subsequently descended into trees and terrain.
Post-Accident Findings
Examination of the airframe and engines confirmed that all fuel tanks were essentially empty. Trace amounts of fuel recovered showed no signs of contamination. Autopsy and toxicology results revealed that the pilot had emphysema, hypertension, dilated cardiomyopathy, and severe coronary artery disease. However, the passenger did not report any signs of acute incapacitation, and the pilot did not communicate any medical issues to air traffic control, suggesting these conditions did not affect his performance on that day.
The pilot had not reported any chronically painful conditions to the FAA in his most recent medical certificate applications. Postaccident toxicology tests detected several pain medications: diclofenac, gabapentin, and oxycodone, as well as marijuana. The Food and Drug Administration warnings for gabapentin and oxycodone indicate they may be individually impairing and sedating, and their combined effect may be additive. The effects of the underlying conditions that necessitated the medication could not be determined. While the direct effect of marijuana alone on judgment and psychomotor functioning is impossible to determine from available information, the combination of marijuana, oxycodone, and gabapentin likely significantly impaired the pilot's judgment and contributed to his failure to ensure sufficient fuel for the planned flight.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause is the pilot's inadequate preflight planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and a subsequent total loss of power in both engines during cruise flight. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s use of prescription and illicit drugs, which likely impaired his judgment.