What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The airplane crashed in the backyard of a residence after encountering an un-commanded dual engine shut down while in cruise flight at 8000' MSL. According to the pilot the right engine shut down first followed shortly thereafter by the left engine. The pilot attempted to move the left fuel selector to the cross feed position, in an attempt to restart the right engine, prior to the left engine shutting down but the selector knob would not turn clockwise to the cross feed position. Repeated attempts were made to restart the engine(s) during the descent but neither engine would restart. It was verified that the left fuel selector knob would not rotate clockwise to the cross feed position. It was determined that the selector valve assembly and control cable were rigged incorrectly. When the left fuel selector knob in the cockpit was in a position that indicated to the pilot that the left engine was drawing fuel from the left fuel tank, the left fuel selector valve was actually in the cross feed position and drawing fuel from the right fuel tank. According to the aircraft maintenance records, the left fuel selector valve was removed, resealed and reinstalled during maintenance which was approved for return to service on September 8, 2010. During the on-site investigation on 9/19/2010 all fuel caps were found to be closed and locked. The right and left fuel tanks were accessed through the access panels at their respective wing roots. The right tank was found to have no usable fuel remaining and the left tank had approximately 5 gallons of fuel remaining in the tank. The right fuel tank system was not compromised during the accident and there was no evidence of fuel leakage from the right fuel tank at the accident site. The left main fuel tank was compromised at the leading edge of the left wing outboard of the engine as a result of contact with the house. Evidence of a fuel leak (unknown quantity) was observed on the ground due to dead grass in the immediate vicinity of impact with the house and under the left wing where the airplane came to rest. The pilot said that the last time the airplane was fueled was on 9/12/2010 at bkw. He stated that he had only the main tanks topped off (172 gallons). It was confirmed that the accident aircraft was fueled at 0715 on 9/12/2010 at bkw and a total of 93 gallons of fuel was purchased. The fixed base operators at bkw, blf and mgw were queried to see when and if fuel had been delivered to N86BR. No additional fuel was purchased after 9/12/2010. According to the operator's daily flight logs and the airplane hobbs meter, the airplane accumulated 3.2 hours prior to the accident and since refueling the airplane on 9/12/2010.the pilot did not report any flight control, engine or propeller control problems during the accident flight.
As the FAA filed it
THE AIRPLANE CRASHED IN THE BACKYARD OF A RESIDENCE AFTER ENCOUNTERING AN UN-COMMANDED DUAL ENGINE SHUT DOWN WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 8000' MSL. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT THE RIGHT ENGINE SHUT DOWN FIRST FOLLOWED SHORTLY THEREAFTER BY THE LEFT ENGINE. THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO MOVE THE LEFT FUEL SELECTOR TO THE CROSS FEED POSITION, IN AN ATTEMPT TO RESTART THE RIGHT ENGINE, PRIOR TO THE LEFT ENGINE SHUTTING DOWN BUT THE SELECTOR KNOB WOULD NOT TURN CLOCKWISE TO THE CROSS FEED POSITION. REPEATED ATTEMPTS WERE MADE TO RESTART THE ENGINE(S) DURING THE DESCENT BUT NEITHER ENGINE WOULD RESTART.IT WAS VERIFIED THAT THE LEFT FUEL SELECTOR KNOB WOULD NOT ROTATE CLOCKWISE TO THE CROSS FEED POSITION. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE SELECTOR VALVE ASSEMBLY AND CONTROL CABLE WERE RIGGED INCORRECTLY. WHEN THE LEFT FUEL SELECTOR KNOB IN THE COCKPIT WAS IN A POSITION THAT INDICATED TO THE PILOT THAT THE LEFT ENGINE WAS DRAWING FUEL FROM THE LEFT FUEL TANK, THE LEFT FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS ACTUALLY IN THE CROSS FEED POSITION AND DRAWING FUEL FROM THE RIGHT FUEL TANK. ACCORDING TO THE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS, THE LEFT FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS REMOVED, RESEALED AND REINSTALLED DURING MAINTENANCE WHICH WAS APPROVED FOR RETURN TO SERVICE ON SEPTEMBER 8, 2010. DURING THE ON-SITE INVESTIGATION ON 9/19/2010 ALL FUEL CAPS WERE FOUND TO BE CLOSED AND LOCKED. THE RIGHT AND LEFT FUEL TANKS WERE ACCESSED THROUGH THE ACCESS PANELS AT THEIR RESPECTIVE WING ROOTS. THE RIGHT TANK WAS FOUND TO HAVE NO USABLE FUEL REMAINING AND THE LEFT TANK HAD APPROXIMATELY 5 GALLONS OF FUEL REMAINING IN THE TANK. THE RIGHT FUEL TANK SYSTEM WAS NOT COMPROMISED DURING THE ACCIDENT AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF FUEL LEAKAGE FROM THE RIGHT FUEL TANK AT THE ACCIDENT SITE. THE LEFT MAIN FUEL TANK WAS COMPROMISED AT THE LEADING EDGE OF THE LEFT WING OUTBOARD OF THE ENGINE AS A RESULT OF CONTACT WITH THE HOUSE. EVIDENCE OF A FUEL LEAK (UNKNOWN QUANTITY) WAS OBSERVED ON THE GROUND DUE TO DEAD GRASS IN THE IMMEDIATE VICINITY OF IMPACT WITH THE HOUSE AND UNDER THE LEFT WING WHERE THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST.THE PILOT SAID THAT THE LAST TIME THE AIRPLANE WAS FUELED WAS ON 9/12/2010 AT BKW. HE STATED THAT HE HAD ONLY THE MAIN TANKS TOPPED OFF (172 GALLONS). IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT WAS FUELED AT 0715 ON 9/12/2010 AT BKW AND A TOTAL OF 93 GALLONS OF FUEL WAS PURCHASED. THE FIXED BASE OPERATORS AT BKW, BLF AND MGW WERE QUERIED TO SEE WHEN AND IF FUEL HAD BEEN DELIVERED TO N86BR. NO ADDITIONAL FUEL WAS PURCHASED AFTER 9/12/2010. ACCORDING TO THE OPERATOR'S DAILY FLIGHT LOGS AND THE AIRPLANE HOBBS METER, THE AIRPLANE ACCUMULATED 3.2 HOURS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT AND SINCE REFUELING THE AIRPLANE ON 9/12/2010.THE PILOT DID NOT REPORT ANY FLIGHT CONTROL, ENGINE OR PROPELLER CONTROL PROBLEMS DURING THE ACCIDENT FLIGHT.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.