Dual-Engine Fuel Starvation After Maintenance Departure (N57EF)

Departure and Initial Distress Call The aircraft departed from a maintenance facility following the installation of the right engine. The quantity of fuel aboard at the time of departure was not known. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot reported that he had lost an engine. He initially requested vectors back to the departure airport but later changed his request to an alternate destination. ## Descent and Impact From the initial distress call until the last recorded radar target, a period of approximately 2.5 minutes, the aircraft descended from 2,500 feet to 700 feet. During this interval, its speed decreased from 190 knots to about 87 knots. Witnesses described the engine sound as rough and cutting in and out before the aircraft descended out of sight. Sounds of impact were subsequently heard, and the left wing was consumed by post-crash fire. ## Fuel System Findings Investigators drained 40 gallons of fuel from the right inboard and nacelle tanks. Only trace amounts of fuel were visible in the right outboard tank. Both fuel selectors were found in the outboard tank position. Examination of flight times and ground-maintenance run times indicated that the engines had been run for approximately 3 hours with the outboard tanks selected. Each outboard tank held 40 gallons, for a total of 80 gallons. The pilot's operating manual stated that the fuel consumption rate at the maximum endurance power setting was 28 gallons per hour.