Narrative:

The airplane had just come out of major overhaul at ZZZ. 2 new engines and 4 new fuel bladders had just been installed. After a careful preflight which included visually checking all 4 tanks; we departed at XA50 for ZZZ1 to pick up my cousin's wife and drop her in ZZZ2 to pick up her husband from the hospital. In order to perform a proper break in of the engines; the normally 30 min flight was extended to 80 mins. 20 mins were spent on the inboard tanks and 60 mins on the outboards. Departure from ZZZ1 at XC30 was on the inboards for approximately 10 mins when we switched to the outboards. At the incident point 60 mins into the flight and 1:50 mins into the usage of the outboards the right engine surged and quit. This was during our descent at approximately 1900 ft. Restart procedures were begun when suddenly the left engine quit. At this point restart procedures were quickly attempted; but when unsuccessful; it was decided to land on the interstate as the traffic was light and there was insufficient time to continue troubleshooting. A safe emergency landing was executed and the plane was brought to rest on the median. Upon egress from the plane it was noted that the outboard tanks were dry. There was blue staining trailing back from the filler caps; but nothing was made of it. The next morning the plane was towed to the ZZZ3 airport where it started on the inboards and ran for 2 mins on the outboards. Full fueling was done which took 83 gals. It is important to also note that the left fuel gauge didn't read empty even though one would have thought it should. For 2:20 of flight; the plane should have burned 70 gals; as it usually burns 30 gph (the flight was done at 3000 ft using minimal fuel to climb). It took 13 gals more. Each tank has 34 gals usable or 2:15 of time. If you assume 6-7 gal discrepancy per side; it would explain the 25 min shortened endurance of the outboards. On jan/tue/07 I flew the plane out of its home base of ZZZ4. 25 mins into the flight I noticed gas leaking/streaking out of the top of the fuel caps of each outboard tank. Upon landing; pictures were taken and the mechanic notified. He stated that probably since the airplane hadn't flown in 2 months; gaskets in the caps had probably dried out. This wouldn't be noticed until flight as the pressure differential would only then be strong enough to suck gas out of the tanks. Over 2:20 it is reasonable to assume 6 gals per side were lost; thus explaining this incident. I believe the confluence of the major maintenance which necessitated a prolonged first leg of the flight; coupled with the loss of fuel from the outboard tanks; with the fuel starvation happening at low altitude all came together to cause this incident.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PA23-250 ON ITS FIRST FLT OUT OF AN OVERHAUL MADE AN OFF ARPT LANDING FOLLOWING FUEL STARVATION BECAUSE OF LEAKING FUEL TANK CAPS.

Narrative: THE AIRPLANE HAD JUST COME OUT OF MAJOR OVERHAUL AT ZZZ. 2 NEW ENGS AND 4 NEW FUEL BLADDERS HAD JUST BEEN INSTALLED. AFTER A CAREFUL PREFLT WHICH INCLUDED VISUALLY CHKING ALL 4 TANKS; WE DEPARTED AT XA50 FOR ZZZ1 TO PICK UP MY COUSIN'S WIFE AND DROP HER IN ZZZ2 TO PICK UP HER HUSBAND FROM THE HOSPITAL. IN ORDER TO PERFORM A PROPER BREAK IN OF THE ENGS; THE NORMALLY 30 MIN FLT WAS EXTENDED TO 80 MINS. 20 MINS WERE SPENT ON THE INBOARD TANKS AND 60 MINS ON THE OUTBOARDS. DEP FROM ZZZ1 AT XC30 WAS ON THE INBOARDS FOR APPROX 10 MINS WHEN WE SWITCHED TO THE OUTBOARDS. AT THE INCIDENT POINT 60 MINS INTO THE FLT AND 1:50 MINS INTO THE USAGE OF THE OUTBOARDS THE R ENG SURGED AND QUIT. THIS WAS DURING OUR DSCNT AT APPROX 1900 FT. RESTART PROCS WERE BEGUN WHEN SUDDENLY THE L ENG QUIT. AT THIS POINT RESTART PROCS WERE QUICKLY ATTEMPTED; BUT WHEN UNSUCCESSFUL; IT WAS DECIDED TO LAND ON THE INTERSTATE AS THE TFC WAS LIGHT AND THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT TIME TO CONTINUE TROUBLESHOOTING. A SAFE EMER LNDG WAS EXECUTED AND THE PLANE WAS BROUGHT TO REST ON THE MEDIAN. UPON EGRESS FROM THE PLANE IT WAS NOTED THAT THE OUTBOARD TANKS WERE DRY. THERE WAS BLUE STAINING TRAILING BACK FROM THE FILLER CAPS; BUT NOTHING WAS MADE OF IT. THE NEXT MORNING THE PLANE WAS TOWED TO THE ZZZ3 ARPT WHERE IT STARTED ON THE INBOARDS AND RAN FOR 2 MINS ON THE OUTBOARDS. FULL FUELING WAS DONE WHICH TOOK 83 GALS. IT IS IMPORTANT TO ALSO NOTE THAT THE L FUEL GAUGE DIDN'T READ EMPTY EVEN THOUGH ONE WOULD HAVE THOUGHT IT SHOULD. FOR 2:20 OF FLT; THE PLANE SHOULD HAVE BURNED 70 GALS; AS IT USUALLY BURNS 30 GPH (THE FLT WAS DONE AT 3000 FT USING MINIMAL FUEL TO CLB). IT TOOK 13 GALS MORE. EACH TANK HAS 34 GALS USABLE OR 2:15 OF TIME. IF YOU ASSUME 6-7 GAL DISCREPANCY PER SIDE; IT WOULD EXPLAIN THE 25 MIN SHORTENED ENDURANCE OF THE OUTBOARDS. ON JAN/TUE/07 I FLEW THE PLANE OUT OF ITS HOME BASE OF ZZZ4. 25 MINS INTO THE FLT I NOTICED GAS LEAKING/STREAKING OUT OF THE TOP OF THE FUEL CAPS OF EACH OUTBOARD TANK. UPON LNDG; PICTURES WERE TAKEN AND THE MECH NOTIFIED. HE STATED THAT PROBABLY SINCE THE AIRPLANE HADN'T FLOWN IN 2 MONTHS; GASKETS IN THE CAPS HAD PROBABLY DRIED OUT. THIS WOULDN'T BE NOTICED UNTIL FLT AS THE PRESSURE DIFFERENTIAL WOULD ONLY THEN BE STRONG ENOUGH TO SUCK GAS OUT OF THE TANKS. OVER 2:20 IT IS REASONABLE TO ASSUME 6 GALS PER SIDE WERE LOST; THUS EXPLAINING THIS INCIDENT. I BELIEVE THE CONFLUENCE OF THE MAJOR MAINT WHICH NECESSITATED A PROLONGED FIRST LEG OF THE FLT; COUPLED WITH THE LOSS OF FUEL FROM THE OUTBOARD TANKS; WITH THE FUEL STARVATION HAPPENING AT LOW ALT ALL CAME TOGETHER TO CAUSE THIS INCIDENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.