Piper PA-34-200T N36405 accident near Nocagdoches, Texas

Probable cause

A total loss of power in both engines for undetermined reasons.

NTSB analysis

While in cruise flight, about 1 hour and 10 minutes after departure, the left engine lost power. The pilot proceeded to the nearest airport and as he maneuvered the airplane onto the base leg of the traffic pattern, the right engine lost power. He performed a wheels-up forced landing about 600 feet from the runway. He said he had departed with full fuel. A postaccident examination by Federal Aviation Administration inspectors found no evidence of fuel leakage, and the only visible fuel was approximately 5 gallons of unusable fuel. However, retrieval crews reported a very strong smell of avgas when they arrived one hour after the accident. They estimated at least ten to fifteen gallons of avgas was in both the left and right wing tanks. No anomalies were found with the airplane.

Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for CEN11LA083 for the full record.