What happened
During a flight intended for a nearby airport to refuel, a pilot was providing familiarization training to another pilot in a multiengine airplane. Shortly after the aircraft departed, one of the crew members identified an issue with an engine and decided to divert to a closer airfield. Witnesses along the flight path reported hearing irregular engine sounds, including acceleration, deceleration, and popping noises, while others near the crash site reported hearing no engine noise at all. Approximately ten minutes after takeoff, the aircraft struck a building and the ground.
Post-accident investigations found very little fuel remaining in the aircraft's five tanks, with only 23 ounces of aviation fuel recovered. There was no evidence of mechanical failure or malfunction in either engine or propeller prior to the impact, and the damage to the propellers suggested they were operating with low to no power at the time of the crash.
Findings
Investigation into the fuel system revealed that the pilot likely relied on fuel consumption calculations and gauges rather than a visual check, as the fuel level in the center tank was too low to verify visually. An examination of the fuel quantity transmitter identified a critical defect: an open circuit caused by a fractured electrical conductor within the unit. X-ray imaging and laboratory analysis showed that the wire strands inside the transmitter had failed due to fatigue.
This fracture caused the fuel gauge to provide an inaccurate reading, indicating a much higher fuel volume than was actually present. It is believed the gauge showed between 15 and 51 gallons remaining, while the actual amount on board was only between 8 and 10 gallons. This discrepancy led to fuel exhaustion, resulting in the loss of power to both engines during the flight. Findings also noted that the presence of cetirizine in the right-seat pilot and ethanol in the left-seat pilot were not contributing factors to the accident.