What happened
While operating a flight between Woleai Atoll and Yap Island, the aircraft encountered weather conditions that were more severe than initially predicted. During the transit, the pilot became disoriented and lost navigation of the flight path. The aircraft was subjected to significant atmospheric disturbances, including winds gusting as high as 30 knots.
As a result of the navigational error and extended flight time, the aircraft ran out of fuel, leading to the simultaneous failure of both engines. In an attempt to reach safety, the pilot executed an emergency ditching approximately 80 km east of Yap Island. Although all seven occupants were successfully rescued from the scene, the aircraft subsequently sank into the ocean and was destroyed.
Findings
Investigations into the incident identified several contributing elements that led to the loss of the aircraft:
- The primary cause was the exhaustion of fuel following a period of being lost in flight.
- High-altitude winds, reaching gusts of 30 knots, impacted the flight stability.
- Meteorological conditions were found to be slightly more degraded than the provided forecasts.
- The loss of power in both engines necessitated the forced landing on the water surface.