What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On November 4, 2015, eastern standard time, a Piper PA-23 aztec, N62769, operating under title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 by a single certificated CFR part 61 private pilot, with a current class 1 medical, under instrument flight rule flight plan filed for departure from st. louis downtown (cps), Missouri, to Eagle Creek Airpark (eye), Indiana.
While in the left turn on a 45 degree to the downwind to eye, the aircraft experienced a left engine problem and then shut down by the pilot. While on final, the right engine started to lose power and the pilot made emergency maneuvers to get the aircraft on ground. With left engine not running, the pilot was unable to use normal procedures to lower landing gear due to loss of hydraulics. The hydraulic pump is located on left engine. The aircraft landed on runway 21 with the gear up causing minor damage to fuselage skin, lower engine cowls, and both propellers causing this to be classified as an incident.
Eyewitness on the ground stated he heard an engine popping and surging and thought it was a single engine aircraft until he saw it approaching the runway. He stated the aircraft was yawing and ballooned up just prior to contacting the runway and skidding to a stop.
When the aircraft was lifted by the crane off the runway, the landing gear was lowered by alternate means referenced in owner?s manual with no defects noted.
During on site investigation it was discovered that the left and right fuel selectors were in the outboard tank positions. The wing outboard fuel caps were opened and no fuel was found in either tank. The outboard fuel tank gauges read zero also. The inboard fuel tank caps were opened and three quarters of fuel remained along with coinciding fuel gauges reading that amount. The left engine fuel inlet line was disconnected and no fuel was present. The selector handle was operated from outboard to inboard and no defects noted. The flight controls were manipulated and no defects noted.
During our investigation of the aircraft, no mechanical irregularities of the aircraft were noted.
Weather briefing was accomplished through duats and night visual meteorological conditions prevailed at eye.
The pilot did not use the alternate method available to lower landing gear.
As the FAA filed it
ON NOVEMBER 4, 2015, EASTERN STANDARD TIME, A PIPER PA-23 AZTEC, N62769, OPERATING UNDER TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 BY A SINGLE CERTIFICATED CFR PART 61 PRIVATE PILOT, WITH A CURRENT CLASS 1 MEDICAL, UNDER INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULE FLIGHT PLAN FILED FOR DEPARTURE FROM ST. LOUIS DOWNTOWN (CPS), MISSOURI, TO EAGLE CREEK AIRPARK (EYE), INDIANA.
WHILE IN THE LEFT TURN ON A 45 DEGREE TO THE DOWNWIND TO EYE, THE AIRCRAFT EXPERIENCED A LEFT ENGINE PROBLEM AND THEN SHUT DOWN BY THE PILOT. WHILE ON FINAL, THE RIGHT ENGINE STARTED TO LOSE POWER AND THE PILOT MADE EMERGENCY MANEUVERS TO GET THE AIRCRAFT ON GROUND. WITH LEFT ENGINE NOT RUNNING, THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO USE NORMAL PROCEDURES TO LOWER LANDING GEAR DUE TO LOSS OF HYDRAULICS. THE HYDRAULIC PUMP IS LOCATED ON LEFT ENGINE. THE AIRCRAFT LANDED ON RUNWAY 21 WITH THE GEAR UP CAUSING MINOR DAMAGE TO FUSELAGE SKIN, LOWER ENGINE COWLS, AND BOTH PROPELLERS CAUSING THIS TO BE CLASSIFIED AS AN INCIDENT.
EYEWITNESS ON THE GROUND STATED HE HEARD AN ENGINE POPPING AND SURGING AND THOUGHT IT WAS A SINGLE ENGINE AIRCRAFT UNTIL HE SAW IT APPROACHING THE RUNWAY. HE STATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS YAWING AND BALLOONED UP JUST PRIOR TO CONTACTING THE RUNWAY AND SKIDDING TO A STOP.
WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WAS LIFTED BY THE CRANE OFF THE RUNWAY, THE LANDING GEAR WAS LOWERED BY ALTERNATE MEANS REFERENCED IN OWNER?S MANUAL WITH NO DEFECTS NOTED.
DURING ON SITE INVESTIGATION IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE LEFT AND RIGHT FUEL SELECTORS WERE IN THE OUTBOARD TANK POSITIONS. THE WING OUTBOARD FUEL CAPS WERE OPENED AND NO FUEL WAS FOUND IN EITHER TANK. THE OUTBOARD FUEL TANK GAUGES READ ZERO ALSO. THE INBOARD FUEL TANK CAPS WERE OPENED AND THREE QUARTERS OF FUEL REMAINED ALONG WITH COINCIDING FUEL GAUGES READING THAT AMOUNT. THE LEFT ENGINE FUEL INLET LINE WAS DISCONNECTED AND NO FUEL WAS PRESENT. THE SELECTOR HANDLE WAS OPERATED FROM OUTBOARD TO INBOARD AND NO DEFECTS NOTED. THE FLIGHT CONTROLS WERE MANIPULATED AND NO DEFECTS NOTED.
DURING OUR INVESTIGATION OF THE AIRCRAFT, NO MECHANICAL IRREGULARITIES OF THE AIRCRAFT WERE NOTED.
WEATHER BRIEFING WAS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH DUATS AND NIGHT VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS PREVAILED AT EYE.
THE PILOT DID NOT USE THE ALTERNATE METHOD AVAILABLE TO LOWER LANDING GEAR.