Occurrence Summary
On 5 January 2022 at 8:32 AM EST, a Cessna 402B aircraft, United States registered N145TT, crashed into waters approximately 4.48 NM west of Chub Cay Airport (MYBC), Berry Islands, Bahamas. The aircraft was operated by Airway Air Charter INC (owned by Venture Air Solutions INC) under a Part 135 certificate. It had departed Opa Locka Executive Airport (KOPF), Florida, at 7:52 AM EST with two persons on board en route to Chub Cay International Airport.
The pilot conducted a pre-flight check and added 66.5 gallons of 100LL aviation fuel to the main tanks; no fuel was added to the auxiliary tanks. After clearance from ATC, the flight departed. The flight was uneventful until descending into Chub Cay at about 2,500 feet, when the left engine began to sputter. The pilot executed the engine failure checklist, but shortly after, the right engine also began to sputter. The pilot contacted Miami Air Traffic Control and reported loss of power to both engines, leading to the crash into water.
Search and rescue efforts involved the United States Coast Guard, Royal Bahamas Defense Force, Royal Bahamas Police Force, and local mariners and pilots. Both occupants were located and rescued, then airlifted to the United States for medical attention for minor injuries. The accident site was at coordinates 25°24.884' N, 077°58.030' W.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was a Cessna 402B, serial number 402B1333, manufactured in 1977. It was a fixed-wing multi-engine aircraft in the normal category, powered by two Continental Motors TSIO-520 SER reciprocating engines. The fuel system consisted of two main tanks (tip tanks), optional auxiliary tanks, and fuel selectors for main, auxiliary, or crossfeed settings. The aircraft was equipped with tip tanks.
Investigation Findings
The pilot in command was 50 years old, holding an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate with multi-engine land rating, type ratings for ERJ-170 and ERJ-190, and commercial single-engine land and sea privileges. Limitations included ATP circling approach in VMC only; ERJ-170/190 circling approach VMC only; and pilot-in-command limitations. Total flight time was 3,000 hours, with 350 hours in the Cessna 402B. He held a valid first-class medical certificate with the limitation "Must have available glasses for near vision." He completed initial new hire training with Airway Air Charter for the Cessna 402 (B and C models) on 31 March 2021 under CFR Part 135.
The airplane was a 6-10 seat light twin piston engine aircraft, produced from 1966 to 1985. It had 300 hp turbocharged Continental engines with three-blade constant-speed fully feathering propellers. The specific aircraft had five rectangular windows, a configuration introduced midway through 402B production.
No probable cause was determined in the limited-scope investigation.