What happened
On November 15, 2024, a Piper PA-23-250 aircraft, registered N91119, was conducting a flight from Cat Cay Airport to Grand Bahama International Airport (MYGF) when it experienced a dual engine failure. The flight, which included one pilot and five passengers, began experiencing issues approximately twenty minutes into the flight when the pilot noted a surge in the left engine. Although activating the fuel boost pump temporarily stabilized the engine, the situation deteriorated as the aircraft approached runway 06.
At roughly three nautical miles from the airport, the pilot reported that the left engine had lost power. In an attempt to manage the emergency, the pilot engaged the cross-feed and fuel boost pumps, eventually feathering the left propeller as speed dropped to 88 knots. Shortly thereafter, the right engine also lost power. The pilot notified air traffic control that the aircraft was going down and prepared for an emergency landing. The aircraft subsequently crashed into vegetation approximately 0.90 nautical miles southwest of the runway approach end.
The investigation
The investigation conducted by the AAIA focused on the aircraft's fuel state and mechanical condition. Investigators examined the fuel tanks and found that the left inboard and outboard tanks were completely empty of AVGAS. On the right side, the outboard tank was also empty, while the inboard tank contained only a very low level of fuel. Evidence of a leak was noted near the right main gear door.
While records showed that 36 gallons of AVGAS had been purchased on the day of the accident, there was no documentation confirming the initial fuel volume or how the fuel had been distributed among the tanks. The investigation also noted that there was no available maintenance documentation to verify if the aircraft had been serviced according to regulatory requirements.