What happened
A cargo flight was operating a 170-mile round trip with two intermediate stops, departing with 64 gallons of fuel. During the first leg of the flight, the pilot utilized approximately 15 gallons from the right main tank. About 30 minutes into the flight, while positioned roughly 5 miles south of the first intended landing airport, the aircraft encountered a snow squall. To maintain visual reference to the ground, the pilot descended to 500 feet MSL over the bay.
Due to rising terrain ahead, the pilot initiated a steep 180-degree left turn. During this maneuver, the engine lost all power. The pilot reported rolling out on a reverse heading and switching fuel tanks, but an engine restart attempt was unsuccessful. The pilot subsequently ditched the aircraft in the relatively calm water of a cove. A fishing boat crew witnessed the ditching and rescued the not injured pilot.
The investigation
The aircraft was recovered following the incident. During subsequent inspections, maintenance personnel were able to successfully run the engine.