On January 13, 1994, a Beechcraft 90 King Air (registration N46WA) operated by Charles Kuykendall was involved in an aviation accident near Marseille, France in flight. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The presence of smoke in the cockpit during cruise flight led to an emergency descent and subsequent ditching. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A).
A single-engine aircraft ditched in the Gulf of Lion after smoke was detected in the cockpit during a transatlantic ferry flight.
What happened
During a ferry flight traveling from Germany to the United States, an aircraft was navigating a route that included stops in Lisbon and the Azores Islands. While the aircraft was cruising at an altitude of 13,000 feet near Martigues, smoke began to fill the cockpit area.
In response to the smoke, the pilot initiated an emergency descent. The flight ended when the aircraft ditched in the waters of the Gulf of Lion, situated off the coast of Marseille. The pilot was successfully rescued from the scene, but the aircraft subsequently sank and remains lost.
Findings
The presence of smoke in the cockpit during the cruise phase necessitated an immediate emergency descent.
The incident resulted in zero fatalities as the sole occupant was recovered by rescue teams.
Probable cause
The presence of smoke in the cockpit during cruise flight led to an emergency descent and subsequent ditching.