What happened
In the early hours of the morning, a Britten-Orrman BN-2B-27 Islander was prepared for a scheduled mail delivery service departing from Manchester Airport toward Ronaldsway Airport. Following preflight procedures conducted in low light, the pilot commenced the flight at 05:09 hrs under Special Visual Flight Rules. The aircraft initially climbed to 1000 feet before reaching a cruising altitude of 2000 feet while heading northwest.
While flying approximately two nautical miles off the coast, the port engine experienced a surge and subsequently failed. Shortly after this initial failure, the starboard engine also ceased operation. At 05:28 hrs, the pilot notified Liverpool Approach of the emergency and declared an intention to perform a forced landing at Woodvale Airfield. During the descent, the pilot reduced airspeed to approximately 65 knots.
The aircraft was unable to reach the airfield and instead performed a forced landing on a sandy beach. Upon securing the aircraft, the pilot discovered that the fuel cock selectors were configured such that both engines were drawing from the right fuel tank. While the right tank was empty, approximately 289 litres of fuel remained in the other tanks. The pilot exited the aircraft uninjured.
The landing on a soft patch of sand caused the nose and right main undercarriage to collapse, along with damage to the wing center section. Subsequent recovery efforts by local services further damaged the tailplane and left undercarriage. The aircraft was eventually submerged by the incoming high tide.
Findings
An inspection of the aircraft prior to its recovery revealed no evidence of mechanical failure in the flying controls or the engines before the impact occurred.