Incident Summary
A crew conducting a training mission in New York State encountered poor weather conditions, specifically fog, while descending to Westchester County Airport. The pilots decided to follow a holding pattern rather than diverting to the alternate airport. Minutes later, both engines failed simultaneously. The aircraft lost altitude and crashed in flames in a field located in Armonk, approximately four miles north of Westchester County. The aircraft was destroyed, and all three occupants were killed.
Circumstances
The flight was a training mission, and the crew was navigating toward Westchester County Airport when they experienced reduced visibility due to fog. After entering the holding pattern, the dual engine failure occurred. The crash site was in a rural field in Armonk, New York. No other details about the aircraft type, registration, or operator were provided in the source.
Probable Cause
According to the official investigation, the probable cause of the accident was the crew's decision to approach Westchester County Airport in below-minima weather conditions and subsequently follow a holding pattern instead of diverting to the alternate airport. The double engine failure was caused by fuel exhaustion resulting from mismanagement of fuel by the crew. Improper in-flight decisions, mismanagement of fuel, and miscalculated fuel consumption led to fuel exhaustion and the engine failure.