What happened
A flight originating from Opa-Locka, Florida, and traveling to Bimini before returning to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, ended in a crash in a wooded area. During the return portion of the trip, the aircraft experienced a total loss of power across both engines. The sequence of events began during a touch-and-go maneuver at Fort Lauderdale, when fuel pressure indicators for the right engine transitioned from flickering to a steady warning state. At an altitude of approximately 500 feet, the pilot adjusted the mixture on the right engine, but the left engine subsequently failed as well.
The aircraft was operating with known mechanical limitations, including a pre-existing electrical issue that required the landing gear to be deployed manually and prevented the use of radio communications. While the owner reported having 145 gallons of fuel at the start of the flight, post-accident investigations determined that all fuel tanks were empty. The flight duration was approximately one hour and 20 minutes, with a fuel consumption rate of 50 gallons per hour, compounded by the fact that 75 gallons had been offloaded during a stop in Bimini.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several contributing factors related to the crew's management of the flight. The primary cause was fuel exhaustion resulting from an inadequate fuel supply for the planned mission. Additionally, the pilot in command failed to perform an adequate preflight inspection, which contributed to the oversight regarding the remaining fuel levels after the offloading in Bimini.