What happened
A private pilot was conducting a cross-country personal flight with five passengers, traveling toward an Alaskan coastal community. The aircraft had approximately 140 gallons of usable fuel on board for the intended 757 nautical mile trip. The original plan included one fuel stop, but during the flight, the pilot requested to divert to an airport located 100 miles away to get closer to the final destination.
As the flight approached this second intended fuel stop, the pilot notified Air Traffic Control (ATC) of another change in destination, requesting clearance to proceed directly to the final destination airport. While approximately 22 miles southeast of that airport, the pilot expressed concern regarding remaining fuel levels. Upon inquiry from ATC, the pilot reported having below 5 gallons remaining in both tanks. Although an ATC specialist suggested an alternate airport closer to the aircraft's position, the pilot elected to continue toward the destination because he was unfamiliar with the suggested airport.
Shortly after, the pilot reported that both engines had lost power due to being out of fuel. The pilot performed a forced landing in open ocean waters approximately 12 miles short of the destination airport.
Findings
The impact with the water caused all six occupants to lose consciousness momentarily. Upon regaining consciousness, two passengers found about 2 feet of water inside the aircraft and realized it was sinking. Four survivors successfully evacuated the airplane into the water, including the pilot. The remaining two fatalities remained inside the aircraft as it sank. The four survivors attempted to swim toward a shoreline located approximately one mile from the site, but during the swim, the group became separated. To date, the pilot and two other occupants have not been located.