Incident Overview
An aircraft experienced a double engine failure while in cruising altitude during a flight from Cape Eleuthera to Nassau. The pilot responded by reducing altitude and eventually performing a ditching maneuver off Ship Channel Cay, Exuma. The pilot was successfully rescued, while the aircraft sank and was lost.
Ditching and Rescue
After both engines failed, the pilot initiated a descent and subsequently ditched the aircraft in water near Ship Channel Cay. The pilot was rescued from the water, but the aircraft sank and was not recovered.
Probable Cause and Contributing Factors
The official investigation determined the probable cause of the accident to be a double engine failure in normal cruise due to inadequate preflight preparation. Contributing factors reported include mismanagement of fuel, fuel exhaustion, an erratic fuel quantity gauge, the aircraft coming to rest in water, and a forced landing off airport in water.