What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
Took off 74D to obtain fuel at nearby airport. Ran out. Pitched up. Spun. Recovered then dove straight in. (.4)three days prior to the accident flight, the pilot/owner landed at his home airport where no fuel was available. The pilot reported to witnesses that during the flight home he had run the auxiliary tanks empty and had nearly exhausted his fuel supply. On the day of the accident, the pilot researched area airports for fuel prices 'cheaper' than the nearest fuel stop, and stated he had '...an hour's worth of fuel on board.' Immediately after takeoff, witnesses described a loss of engine power on one and then both engines. The airplane collided with terrain 3 miles from the departure airport. Examination of the wreckage revealed approximately one gallon of fuel on board with no evidence of spillage at the scene. Both fuel selectors were in the 'crossfeed' position. The fuel system was recently overhauled and all fuel pumps were operational. Examination of the airframe and engines revealed no pre-impact anomalies. Examination of fuel records and aircraft flight times revealed the airplane had flown approximately 5 hours after its last fuel service.
As the FAA filed it
TOOK OFF 74D TO OBTAIN FUEL AT NEARBY AIRPORT. RAN OUT. PITCHED UP. SPUN. RECOVERED THEN DOVE STRAIGHT IN. (.4)THREE DAYS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT, THE PILOT/OWNER LANDED AT HIS HOME AIRPORT WHERE NO FUEL WAS AVAILABLE. THE PILOT REPORTED TO WITNESSES THAT DURING THE FLIGHT HOME HE HAD RUN THE AUXILIARY TANKS EMPTY AND HAD NEARLY EXHAUSTED HIS FUEL SUPPLY. ON THE DAY OF THE ACCIDENT, THE PILOT RESEARCHED AREA AIRPORTS FOR FUEL PRICES 'CHEAPER' THAN THE NEAREST FUEL STOP, AND STATED HE HAD '...AN HOUR'S WORTH OF FUEL ON BOARD.' IMMEDIATELY AFTER TAKEOFF, WITNESSES DESCRIBED A LOSS OF ENGINE POWER ON ONE AND THEN BOTH ENGINES. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TERRAIN 3 MILES FROM THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED APPROXIMATELY ONE GALLON OF FUEL ON BOARD WITH NO EVIDENCE OF SPILLAGE AT THE SCENE. BOTH FUEL SELECTORS WERE IN THE 'CROSSFEED' POSITION. THE FUEL SYSTEM WAS RECENTLY OVERHAULED AND ALL FUEL PUMPS WERE OPERATIONAL. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRFRAME AND ENGINES REVEALED NO PRE-IMPACT ANOMALIES. EXAMINATION OF FUEL RECORDS AND AIRCRAFT FLIGHT TIMES REVEALED THE AIRPLANE HAD FLOWN APPROXIMATELY 5 HOURS AFTER ITS LAST FUEL SERVICE.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.