Flight Details
At 1146 GMT, N4906K departed on a five-hour flight to Narssarssuaq, Greenland, with an estimated seven hours of fuel onboard. When the pilot reported the aircraft's position 60 miles southwest of Greenland, the destination visibility was below instrument flight rules (IFR) minima, and the ceiling at the alternate airport was below the minimum descent altitude (MDA). The pilot elected to continue to Reykjavik, Iceland, instead.
Deteriorating Conditions
Later, after the pilot extended the estimated time of arrival (ETA) to Reykjavik by more than one hour and indicated low fuel, Icelandic officials initiated search and rescue procedures. United States Air Force (USAF) and Icelandic aircraft and ships were dispatched before the aircraft ran out of fuel.
Search and Rescue
At 1811 GMT, fuel exhaustion occurred as the pilot was descending from 15,000 feet. A USAF C-130 crew rendezvoused with N4906K, illuminated the ocean with flares, and provided ditching advice. The pilot ditched in high seas approximately 36 miles west of Keflavik, Iceland, in winds gusting to 35 knots.
Ditching and Aftermath
A USAF helicopter arrived three minutes later, but the occupants were never observed to emerge from the downed aircraft. Rescue personnel lost sight of the aircraft at 1834 GMT, at which time the sun was six degrees below the horizon. The emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal ceased shortly thereafter. The occupants were presumed to have been fatally injured when the aircraft ditched and sank in the ocean.