What happened
Shortly after departing, the aircraft reached an altitude of 1,500 feet. During this phase of flight, the pilot decreased the engine RPM to 3,000. Almost immediately following this adjustment, the left engine began to sputter. In an attempt to recover engine performance, the pilot activated the fuel boost pump for the left engine; however, this action was followed by a similar loss of power in the right engine.
Despite the pilot activating the right engine boost pump to restore power, the engines failed to return to normal operation. As the pilot prepared for an emergency landing, the aircraft experienced significant yawing motions due to the intermittent power delivery from both engines. The flight ended when the aircraft struck the tops of several trees before ultimately colliding with a single-family residence located near a lake.
Findings
Post-accident inspections of the engine assemblies and the airframe did not reveal any evidence of mechanical malfunctions or specific component failures. During the investigation of the fuel system, investigators recovered roughly 2.5 pints of fuel. While the pilot believed the aircraft had approximately 50 gallons of fuel at the time of departure, the investigation focused on the sequential loss of power in both engines during the climb.