What happened
Following the installation of a new right engine at a maintenance facility, the aircraft departed with an unspecified amount of fuel on board. During the initial climb, the pilot communicated that one engine had failed. Following this report, the pilot initially requested vectors back to the departure airfield before subsequently requesting a diversion to an alternate airport.
During the 2.5-minute interval between the initial distress call and the final radar contact, the aircraft's altitude dropped from 2,500 feet to 700 feet, while its airspeed decreased from 190 knots to approximately 87 knots. Witnesses on the ground noted that the engine sound was irregular and intermittent prior to the aircraft descending out of sight, followed by the sound of an impact. A post-crash fire heavily involved the left wing.
Findings
Investigation of the wreckage and fuel systems revealed that the right inboard and nacelle tanks contained 40 gallons of fuel, while the right outboard tank contained only trace amounts. Both fuel selectors were positioned to draw from the outboard tanks. Records from ground maintenance and flight logs indicated that the engines had been running for roughly three hours with the outboard tanks selected. Given that the aircraft's maximum endurance fuel consumption rate is 28 gallons per hour, the 80 gallons available in the outboard tanks would have been insufficient to support the duration of the engine runs and the subsequent flight.