What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On October 27, 2019 the pilot of N337TX was operating the aircraft to gain experience to provide instruction at a later date. The pilot and passenger who was also a pilot, performed the preflight prior to flight. During the preflight samples of the fuel were taken with no indication of water present, a visual inspection of the fuel was not accomplished due the ladder unavailability, fuel gages indicated greater than three quarters of a tank.
The pilot practiced approximately six approaches and a few holding patterns before turning back to the airport at which point he elected to check and use the aux fuel tanks, both engines ran smooth while on aux fuel tanks. He then turned south to shoot one more final RNAV 35 approach and land using vectors to keyey, as he crossed keyey at 2300 ft. MSL. Knowing he was going to land he switched the front engine back to main fuel tank when he notice a drop in fuel pressure but it came back up.
This concerned him and he decided to head in, electing not to select the rear engine tanks back to main at this time. As he began his turned back toward the airport the front engine began to lose power. He turned on the boost pumps and switched the tank back to aux to see if that would help. During this time the rear engine was running smoothly however, the front engine continued to lose power.
A few seconds later the rear engine began to sputter, he did not switch the rear engine back to the main tank and hoped it would give him enough thrust to reach the airport. He turned on both boost pumps and applied full rich mixture but was not able to maintain altitude so he slowed to approximately 100 to 110 mpg and best glide in an attempt to make the airport and runway 35. Failing to produce thrust due to both engines quitting at a few hundred feet AGL. He was forced to land on I-75 just before exit 310 avoiding cars, signs and light poles, the aircraft came to rest on exit 310 and was pushed off the side of the road with no damage to property or injury to persons.
As the FAA filed it
ON OCTOBER 27, 2019 THE PILOT OF N337TX WAS OPERATING THE AIRCRAFT TO GAIN EXPERIENCE TO PROVIDE INSTRUCTION AT A LATER DATE. THE PILOT AND PASSENGER WHO WAS ALSO A PILOT, PERFORMED THE PREFLIGHT PRIOR TO FLIGHT. DURING THE PREFLIGHT SAMPLES OF THE FUEL WERE TAKEN WITH NO INDICATION OF WATER PRESENT, A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE FUEL WAS NOT ACCOMPLISHED DUE THE LADDER UNAVAILABILITY, FUEL GAGES INDICATED GREATER THAN THREE QUARTERS OF A TANK.
THE PILOT PRACTICED APPROXIMATELY SIX APPROACHES AND A FEW HOLDING PATTERNS BEFORE TURNING BACK TO THE AIRPORT AT WHICH POINT HE ELECTED TO CHECK AND USE THE AUX FUEL TANKS, BOTH ENGINES RAN SMOOTH WHILE ON AUX FUEL TANKS. HE THEN TURNED SOUTH TO SHOOT ONE MORE FINAL RNAV 35 APPROACH AND LAND USING VECTORS TO KEYEY, AS HE CROSSED KEYEY AT 2300 FT. MSL. KNOWING HE WAS GOING TO LAND HE SWITCHED THE FRONT ENGINE BACK TO MAIN FUEL TANK WHEN HE NOTICE A DROP IN FUEL PRESSURE BUT IT CAME BACK UP.
THIS CONCERNED HIM AND HE DECIDED TO HEAD IN, ELECTING NOT TO SELECT THE REAR ENGINE TANKS BACK TO MAIN AT THIS TIME. AS HE BEGAN HIS TURNED BACK TOWARD THE AIRPORT THE FRONT ENGINE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. HE TURNED ON THE BOOST PUMPS AND SWITCHED THE TANK BACK TO AUX TO SEE IF THAT WOULD HELP. DURING THIS TIME THE REAR ENGINE WAS RUNNING SMOOTHLY HOWEVER, THE FRONT ENGINE CONTINUED TO LOSE POWER.
A FEW SECONDS LATER THE REAR ENGINE BEGAN TO SPUTTER, HE DID NOT SWITCH THE REAR ENGINE BACK TO THE MAIN TANK AND HOPED IT WOULD GIVE HIM ENOUGH THRUST TO REACH THE AIRPORT. HE TURNED ON BOTH BOOST PUMPS AND APPLIED FULL RICH MIXTURE BUT WAS NOT ABLE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE SO HE SLOWED TO APPROXIMATELY 100 TO 110 MPG AND BEST GLIDE IN AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE THE AIRPORT AND RUNWAY 35. FAILING TO PRODUCE THRUST DUE TO BOTH ENGINES QUITTING AT A FEW HUNDRED FEET AGL. HE WAS FORCED TO LAND ON I-75 JUST BEFORE EXIT 310 AVOIDING CARS, SIGNS AND LIGHT POLES, THE AIRCRAFT CAME TO REST ON EXIT 310 AND WAS PUSHED OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH NO DAMAGE TO PROPERTY OR INJURY TO PERSONS.