What happened
During a repositioning flight intended to move the aircraft to a different airport for refueling, the pilot experienced a sudden loss of engine power. Approximately 12 nautical miles from the intended destination, both engines began to surge before failing. To avoid obstacles, the pilot performed a forced landing in a grassy area situated between a highway and other terrain. The impact was severe, causing the landing gear to collapse and resulting in substantial damage to the wings and the fuselage.
Prior to departure, the pilot noted that the primary fuel gauges indicated low levels, though a supplemental electronic fuel totalizer showed 55 gallons of fuel on board. The pilot determined that the fuel level was sufficient for the planned 20-minute flight. Due to the location of the fueling ports near the wingtips, the pilot stated that a visual verification of the fuel quantity was not possible using external measuring tools.
Findings
Investigations revealed a disparity between the actual fuel volume and the amount manually entered into the electronic fuel totalizer. The pilot noted that during a refueling session a few days prior, the totalizer was set to a full capacity, but the aircraft may not have been level during that process, leading to an inaccurate reading. Furthermore, the operating manual for the Digiflo-L system specifies that the device is a fuel flow meter rather than a quantity-sensing instrument. The manual explicitly requires a visual inspection to confirm usable fuel and mandates that the pilot manually enter the correct quantity into the system.