Narrative:

I left lgb for an intended VFR round trip flight from lgb to las. Prior to my departure from lgb, I purchased fuel and topped off the tanks in the aircraft. The aircraft holds 144 gals of fuel. We landed after 1.5 hours of flight time. I dropped off my passenger. On the outbound flight I used only the outboards fuel, saving my inboard for the return leg. During the return flight I utilized the inboard tanks (each tank on the aircraft carries 36 gals of fuel). Upon my approach to the la area, while over big bear, I started my descent. At that time my fuel gauges read a little over 1/2 in each inboard tank. Upon my arrival over los alamitos, I contacted ATC and requested clearance to land at lgb. I was informed that straight in approachs are not permitted at lgb and was told to go to the queen mary and contact them again. When over the queen mary, I contacted the lgb tower on 119.4 and requested further instructions. I was instructed to extend my downwind to los alamitos. When over los alamitos, I called again and they told me 'cleared to turn base.' when I turned base, they told me 'clear to land' on runway 25L. When I was established on final, the controller cleared another aircraft to turn base directly in front of me. I notified the controller as to what he did and ATC then told me to do a 360 degree turn. When I reestablished on final, I was again told by ATC to do a 180 degree turn (which put me on a heading back to los alamitos). Throughout this procedure, my fuel gauges were reading just a little less than 1/2 and the aircraft and engines were operating normally. Upon my completion of the 180 degree turn, I lost the left (critical) engine and I followed all proper procedures. At this time, for some unknown reason, the aircraft door opened. I immediately notified the controller of my problem re: the door and he switched me to immediately land on runway 25R. All during this time I was making a left turn (into the out engine) to line myself with final for 25R. Approximately 1/2 mi from the designated runway, the right engine quit and I knew that I did not have enough airspeed and altitude to make it to the runway. I therefore looked around for an emergency landing spot trying to avoid all power lines, cars, houses and people. Since my gear was already retracted from the single engine out procedure, I chose clark street upon which to make an emergency landing. In view of the 1260' stopping distance of this aircraft, I chose to leave the gear in the up position in order to stop the forward motion of the aircraft in as short a distance as possible. The aircraft stopped in 100 yds on the centerline of the road. The aircraft was damaged as follows: the undercarriage, the problems, and the left wing (since the left gear did not stay retracted). There were no personal injuries or any other property damage. I do not know what caused the accident. I can only assume that I was venting fuel. The FAA indicated that my tanks were dry except for the left outboard still had fuel. According to the manufacturer's manual, there should have been sufficient fuel to make this flight, plus approximately another hour's extra time. I am familiar with the fact that fuel gauges cannot be trusted when they read 1/4, but never 1/2. I physically checked the tanks before the flight and the gauges were telling me I had at least 1/2 tank of fuel in the inboard tanks at all times. At no time did my gauges even get down to 1/4.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TWIN ENGINE ACFT ON FINAL APCH. ENGINES QUIT, EMERGENCY LNDG.

Narrative: I LEFT LGB FOR AN INTENDED VFR ROUND TRIP FLT FROM LGB TO LAS. PRIOR TO MY DEP FROM LGB, I PURCHASED FUEL AND TOPPED OFF THE TANKS IN THE ACFT. THE ACFT HOLDS 144 GALS OF FUEL. WE LANDED AFTER 1.5 HRS OF FLT TIME. I DROPPED OFF MY PAX. ON THE OUTBOUND FLT I USED ONLY THE OUTBOARDS FUEL, SAVING MY INBOARD FOR THE RETURN LEG. DURING THE RETURN FLT I UTILIZED THE INBOARD TANKS (EACH TANK ON THE ACFT CARRIES 36 GALS OF FUEL). UPON MY APCH TO THE LA AREA, WHILE OVER BIG BEAR, I STARTED MY DSNT. AT THAT TIME MY FUEL GAUGES READ A LITTLE OVER 1/2 IN EACH INBOARD TANK. UPON MY ARR OVER LOS ALAMITOS, I CONTACTED ATC AND REQUESTED CLRNC TO LAND AT LGB. I WAS INFORMED THAT STRAIGHT IN APCHS ARE NOT PERMITTED AT LGB AND WAS TOLD TO GO TO THE QUEEN MARY AND CONTACT THEM AGAIN. WHEN OVER THE QUEEN MARY, I CONTACTED THE LGB TWR ON 119.4 AND REQUESTED FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO EXTEND MY DOWNWIND TO LOS ALAMITOS. WHEN OVER LOS ALAMITOS, I CALLED AGAIN AND THEY TOLD ME 'CLRED TO TURN BASE.' WHEN I TURNED BASE, THEY TOLD ME 'CLR TO LAND' ON RWY 25L. WHEN I WAS ESTABLISHED ON FINAL, THE CTLR CLRED ANOTHER ACFT TO TURN BASE DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME. I NOTIFIED THE CTLR AS TO WHAT HE DID AND ATC THEN TOLD ME TO DO A 360 DEG TURN. WHEN I REESTABLISHED ON FINAL, I WAS AGAIN TOLD BY ATC TO DO A 180 DEG TURN (WHICH PUT ME ON A HDG BACK TO LOS ALAMITOS). THROUGHOUT THIS PROC, MY FUEL GAUGES WERE READING JUST A LITTLE LESS THAN 1/2 AND THE ACFT AND ENGS WERE OPERATING NORMALLY. UPON MY COMPLETION OF THE 180 DEG TURN, I LOST THE LEFT (CRITICAL) ENG AND I FOLLOWED ALL PROPER PROCS. AT THIS TIME, FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON, THE ACFT DOOR OPENED. I IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED THE CTLR OF MY PROB RE: THE DOOR AND HE SWITCHED ME TO IMMEDIATELY LAND ON RWY 25R. ALL DURING THIS TIME I WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN (INTO THE OUT ENG) TO LINE MYSELF WITH FINAL FOR 25R. APPROX 1/2 MI FROM THE DESIGNATED RWY, THE RIGHT ENG QUIT AND I KNEW THAT I DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH AIRSPD AND ALT TO MAKE IT TO THE RWY. I THEREFORE LOOKED AROUND FOR AN EMER LNDG SPOT TRYING TO AVOID ALL PWR LINES, CARS, HOUSES AND PEOPLE. SINCE MY GEAR WAS ALREADY RETRACTED FROM THE SINGLE ENG OUT PROC, I CHOSE CLARK STREET UPON WHICH TO MAKE AN EMER LNDG. IN VIEW OF THE 1260' STOPPING DISTANCE OF THIS ACFT, I CHOSE TO LEAVE THE GEAR IN THE UP POS IN ORDER TO STOP THE FORWARD MOTION OF THE ACFT IN AS SHORT A DISTANCE AS POSSIBLE. THE ACFT STOPPED IN 100 YDS ON THE CENTERLINE OF THE ROAD. THE ACFT WAS DAMAGED AS FOLLOWS: THE UNDERCARRIAGE, THE PROBS, AND THE LEFT WING (SINCE THE LEFT GEAR DID NOT STAY RETRACTED). THERE WERE NO PERSONAL INJURIES OR ANY OTHER PROPERTY DAMAGE. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT CAUSED THE ACCIDENT. I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT I WAS VENTING FUEL. THE FAA INDICATED THAT MY TANKS WERE DRY EXCEPT FOR THE LEFT OUTBOARD STILL HAD FUEL. ACCORDING TO THE MANUFACTURER'S MANUAL, THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENT FUEL TO MAKE THIS FLT, PLUS APPROX ANOTHER HR'S EXTRA TIME. I AM FAMILIAR WITH THE FACT THAT FUEL GAUGES CANNOT BE TRUSTED WHEN THEY READ 1/4, BUT NEVER 1/2. I PHYSICALLY CHKED THE TANKS BEFORE THE FLT AND THE GAUGES WERE TELLING ME I HAD AT LEAST 1/2 TANK OF FUEL IN THE INBOARD TANKS AT ALL TIMES. AT NO TIME DID MY GAUGES EVEN GET DOWN TO 1/4.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.