20020203001209A

(.19) On February 3, 2002, at 0953 hours pacific standard time, a Beech 95-B55, N9DD, landed off-airport at Joshua Tree, California. The private pilot and one passenger were not injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The personal flight was operated by the owner under 14 CFR part 91, and departed santa monica, California, at 0925. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The owner of the Joshua Tree airport told the safety board investigator he heard the airplane approaching and lose power on one engine while on downwind leg, and the second engine while on final approach. He then heard the airplane crash, called 911 on the telephone, and then went to the accident site. He said that the entire airplane, including both wings, was heavily damaged. He removed the two fuel caps on the right wing and observed no fuel in the tanks. He removed the fuel tank cap on the left, main tank (marked "37 gallons"), and found the tank nearly full of a clear blue fluid that looked and smelled like avgas. The left auxiliary tank appeared to be empty. In the cockpit, both fuel selectors were pointed toward their respective main tank. The pilot told the safety board investigator that he had about 600 hours experience in the airplane and he knew that the fuel gauges were functional and accurate because he had, on occasion, used fuel down to a low amount before switching tanks. Since the completion of the recent annual inspection, the plane had flown a trip of about 4 hours duration from santa monica to monterey and back, as well as a short 10-minute maintenance flight with his mechanic. The airplane had four fuel tanks, a left and right main tank and a left and right auxiliary tank, totaling 136 gallons of usable fuel. A typical fuel flow is 36 gallons per hour (total). The airplane was last fueled ("topped-off") prior to departing monterey. The return trip from monterey was about 1.5-hour duration and included use of the auxiliary fuel. On the accident flight, from santa monica to Joshua Tree, he said the fuel selectors remained on the main tanks the entire flight, which took about 45 minutes. The pilot said that on downwind leg for landing on runway 24, he had throttled back the engines to 18 inches of manifold pressure. The left engine started "surging," it did not quit entirely, and there wasn't much yaw associated with the surging dueto the low manifold pressure setting. He glanced at the fuel quantity gauges and saw they were between 1/4 and 1/2. He concluded the problem was not fuel, as that agreed with his assessment of fuel remaining. Because he was close to the airport, and only 1,000 feet AGL, he chose to shutdown and feather the left engine and turned the left fuel selector "off." He increased right engine manifold pressure to 20 inches, which held the plane's altitude with little yaw. He made a wide base leg for the airport and lowered the landing gear as the airplane was turning final. Within 10 seconds of lowering the landing gear, the right engine lost power. He attempted at that time to restart the left engine by turning the left fuel selector back to the main tank, pushing left propeller and throttle controls full forward, turning the boost pump on, and engaging the engine starter. The attempt was unsuccessful, and rather than continuing to analyze the fuel system, he elected to "fly the airplane." As he rolled the wings level on final approach, the right engine seemed to regain power but the airplane was slow and at low altitude (he estimated 500 feet AGL), and he elected to make an off-airport landing. (-23) aircraft N9DD, a Beech 95-B55 piloted by david s. blakesee, certificate 572253830 was on downwind leg when the left engine lost power. As the airplane was turning for final approach the right engine lost power. An attempt to restart the engines was unsuccessful. The aircraft landed off-airport and was substantially damaged.