What happened
While performing a ferry flight from Tauranga to a maintenance facility in Hamilton, the pilot of the aircraft type experienced an engine failure. In an attempt to return to the departure point, the pilot initiated a turn back toward Tauranga; however, the remaining engine subsequently failed. This led to a forced landing within a tidal estuary. The impact resulted in substantial damage to the nose landing gear.
Findings
A safety investigation by the CAA revealed that a prior flight had resulted in an electrical system defect that left several components inoperable. Specifically, the two main and tip fuel tank selector valves were unserviceable. Because no engineering inspection or repairs were conducted following this defect, the operator moved the aircraft from Great Barrier Island without realizing the engines were being supplied solely from the tip tanks. As the flight progressed toward the Kaimai Ranges, the fuel in these tip tanks was exhausted, leading to the loss of engine power.