What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
The pilot in command (PIC)/CFI stated the instructional flight had originated at chattanooga, tennessee/lovell field airport (kcha) with the original destination of space Coast regional airport, titusville, Florida (ktix).
As the flight proceeded south and approximately abeam daytona beach, Florida, the PIC stated the left engine began to run rough. The PIC stated she had then made a decision to divert into Flagler Executive Airport, Palm Coast, Florida (kfin).
The PIC stated the rough running left engine eventually quit. The PIC stated there wasn't enough time to feather the propeller; she was task saturated and concerned only with getting the aircraft on the ground. No emergency was declared until short final.
The PIC stated that on short final the right engine also quit but the aircraft was able glide to a landing "just short" of the runway. There were no injuries or damage to the aircraft and the aircraft was able to Coast to a stop off the runway.
The PIC stated she did not have much flight time in the PA-23-250/aztec (5.3 hours logged before the incident flight), and that she had been "flying all kinds of different airplanes lately". The PIC stated she was not very familiar with the fuel system of the PA-23.
The PIC had mistakenly assumed fuel tanks in this aztec were interconnected as with some other models but in reality the outboard tanks are separate from inboard tanks. The PIC had attempted to make the entire flight from chattanooga using only the outboard tanks which eventually ran dry; the PIC stated the engine began to run rough 2 to 2 1/2 hours into the flight. The inboard tanks remained full as no fuel was ever used from them.
In her signed statement the PIC stated "the cause of the rough engine was fuel starvation" and that "this was strictly pilot error and to my knowledge there is no mechanical fault with either engine of N6588Y".
As the FAA filed it
THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC)/CFI STATED THE INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT HAD ORIGINATED AT CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE/LOVELL FIELD AIRPORT (KCHA) WITH THE ORIGINAL DESTINATION OF SPACE COAST REGIONAL AIRPORT, TITUSVILLE, FLORIDA (KTIX).
AS THE FLIGHT PROCEEDED SOUTH AND APPROXIMATELY ABEAM DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA, THE PIC STATED THE LEFT ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH. THE PIC STATED SHE HAD THEN MADE A DECISION TO DIVERT INTO FLAGLER EXECUTIVE AIRPORT, PALM COAST, FLORIDA (KFIN).
THE PIC STATED THE ROUGH RUNNING LEFT ENGINE EVENTUALLY QUIT. THE PIC STATED THERE WASN'T ENOUGH TIME TO FEATHER THE PROPELLER; SHE WAS TASK SATURATED AND CONCERNED ONLY WITH GETTING THE AIRCRAFT ON THE GROUND. NO EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED UNTIL SHORT FINAL.
THE PIC STATED THAT ON SHORT FINAL THE RIGHT ENGINE ALSO QUIT BUT THE AIRCRAFT WAS ABLE GLIDE TO A LANDING "JUST SHORT" OF THE RUNWAY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR DAMAGE TO THE AIRCRAFT AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS ABLE TO COAST TO A STOP OFF THE RUNWAY.
THE PIC STATED SHE DID NOT HAVE MUCH FLIGHT TIME IN THE PA-23-250/AZTEC (5.3 HOURS LOGGED BEFORE THE INCIDENT FLIGHT), AND THAT SHE HAD BEEN "FLYING ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT AIRPLANES LATELY". THE PIC STATED SHE WAS NOT VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE FUEL SYSTEM OF THE PA-23.
THE PIC HAD MISTAKENLY ASSUMED FUEL TANKS IN THIS AZTEC WERE INTERCONNECTED AS WITH SOME OTHER MODELS BUT IN REALITY THE OUTBOARD TANKS ARE SEPARATE FROM INBOARD TANKS. THE PIC HAD ATTEMPTED TO MAKE THE ENTIRE FLIGHT FROM CHATTANOOGA USING ONLY THE OUTBOARD TANKS WHICH EVENTUALLY RAN DRY; THE PIC STATED THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN ROUGH 2 TO 2 1/2 HOURS INTO THE FLIGHT. THE INBOARD TANKS REMAINED FULL AS NO FUEL WAS EVER USED FROM THEM.
IN HER SIGNED STATEMENT THE PIC STATED "THE CAUSE OF THE ROUGH ENGINE WAS FUEL STARVATION" AND THAT "THIS WAS STRICTLY PILOT ERROR AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE THERE IS NO MECHANICAL FAULT WITH EITHER ENGINE OF N6588Y".