What happened
During a routine personal flight, the pilot encountered significant mechanical difficulties while approaching the destination. Due to a lack of available fuel at the departure airfield, the flight was conducted under specific fuel constraints. As the aircraft neared its arrival point, the pilot failed to properly adjust the fuel crossfeed system, leaving one engine in a configuration that resulted in a partial loss of power.
Despite the aircraft's ability to maintain a climb rate of over 500 feet per minute on a single engine, the situation deteriorated. After the pilot notified the control tower of an emergency, all radio communication ceased. Witnesses observed the aircraft flying at a very low altitude, positioned 90 degrees from the ILS final approach course, while exhibiting unstable lateral oscillations. The aircraft ultimately struck the ground in a 70-degree nose-down attitude. Heavy snowfall was occurring at the time of the accident, and a significant post-crash fire occurred. Both occupants were killed in the accident.
Findings
Investigations into the event highlighted that the pilot left one engine in a fuel crossfeed configuration, which directly led to the partial power loss. The combination of the engine malfunction and the subsequent loss of control during the final approach phase resulted in the fatal impact.