Flight Departure and Weather
Jersey European Airways Flight 245 departed from Jersey Airport (JER) at 17:29 UTC. The flight was delayed because the originally allocated aircraft, G-BESO, had developed an engine fault shortly after takeoff and returned to Jersey. The replacement aircraft was a Britten-Norman Islander, registered G-BDNP. The prevailing weather featured a westerly wind with a cloud base of around 1,500 feet. Flight 245 was cleared on a Special VFR flight plan to Guernsey (GCI) at a height not above 1,000 feet.
Engine Irregularities and ATC Interactions
When approximately 8 miles from the Guernsey coast, the aircraft, under Guernsey Approach Radar Control, was directed to turn north towards the island of Herm as a delaying maneuver to allow a Partenavia, G-BFSU, inbound from the northeast, to approach first. Shortly after making the turn, the starboard propeller of G-BDNP began to hunt—a condition where the propeller blade angle alters to maintain constant propeller RPM as engine power fluctuates. The engine did not fail completely, so the commander decided not to feather the propeller but requested a more direct approach to Guernsey Airport from Air Traffic Control (ATC). ATC agreed and requested the Partenavia to carry out a right-hand orbit to allow the Islander to approach first. Following closely behind the Islander was a Twin Otter, call sign G-BIMW. This resulted in a new landing sequence of the Islander, the Otter, and then the Partenavia.
The commander attempted to rectify the erratic running of the starboard engine by adjusting the carburetor heat and mixture controls and by switching on the auxiliary fuel pumps, but this achieved no improvement. He was able to maintain 600 feet until established on a long final approach to runway 27, when the port engine suddenly lost power. As the aircraft yawed to port due to the power loss, the starboard engine suddenly regained power for about one second, further accentuating the yaw.
Emergency Landing
Realizing he could not continue the approach to the airport, the commander chose a landing site in an area of fields. He then selected the engine fuel mixture controls to 'Off' to prevent a sudden burst of power upsetting the approach, lowered full flap, and carried out an emergency landing. After touching down in one field, the aircraft cleared a 6-foot-high stone wall and then landed in the next field. Ground marks showed it then traveled about 190 feet before the port main plane struck and rode over a stone wall. This broke off the port undercarriage and deflected the aircraft to the right. It then continued through a five-bar gate, crossed a road, and came to rest in the driveway of a guest house. There was no fire.
Injuries and Evacuation
The passengers and the commander were able to leave the aircraft through the doors and emergency windows. The commander sustained severe laceration of his legs, broken fingers, and a head injury, but was able to assist in the evacuation of the eight passengers, who had received only minor injuries. One passenger immediately went to the guest house and made an emergency telephone call for fire and ambulance assistance.
Probable Cause
The accident occurred because of the commander's mismanagement of the aircraft's fuel system in that both engines failed through fuel starvation because the usable contents of the tip tanks, which were feeding the engines, became exhausted when there was ample fuel remaining in the aircraft's main tanks. Contributory factors were the operator's procedures, inadequacies in the checklists, and the position of the fuel selector panel and switch levers in relation to the pilot's eyes.