N289Cessna T337G · 1976

The pilot was conducting a long, multi-stop cross-country flight in a multi-engine airplane. About 3 miles from the destination airport, the airplane’s rear engine lost power completely due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude and the airplane subsequently impacted a tree resulting in substantial damage to the fuselage, wings, and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot also stated that he had incorrectly calculated the airplane’s range and endurance prior to departing on the flight. Postaccident weight and balance calculations also showed that the airplane was likely being operated beyond its maximum gross weight by more than 500 pounds. This likely contributed to the airplane’s inability to maintain altitude following the loss of engine power to one of the two engines.