Flight and Incident
The pilot reported that the fuel tanks were filled the day before the accident. On the accident day, the airplane was flown from the original airport to Miami International Airport, where two passengers boarded. The flight to Cuba was uneventful. In Cuba, the pilot performed a preflight inspection, noting both auxiliary fuel tanks more than half full and both main tanks half full. The flight departed, climbed to 8,000 feet, and was normal in Cuban airspace.
Upon reaching the TADPO intersection, the pilot smelled strong fuel fumes in the cabin. Engine instruments were normal at that time. The flight continued, and when 10-12 miles from Marathon, the pilot smelled something burning, like plastic material or paper; engine indications were normal. The pilot declared “PAN” three times with the controller. Shortly thereafter, the right engine began missing and surging. The pilot observed fire on top of the right engine cowling near the louvers and secured the right engine. However, the odor of fuel and fumes worsened, irritating his eyes.
Emergency and Ditching
The pilot declared an emergency with the controller, began descending at blue line airspeed, and the fumes worsened. Approximately five minutes after the right engine began missing and surging, the left engine acted similarly. The pilot secured the left engine, but the propeller did not completely feather. At 400 feet, the pilot lowered full flaps and, contrary to the Pilot's Operating Handbook and FAA Approved Airplane Flight Manual, extended the landing gear in preparation for ditching. He intentionally stalled the airplane when it was 5-7 feet above the water, evacuated with a life vest, donned and inflated it. The airplane sank within seconds; the pilot was rescued approximately 20 minutes later.
Post-Accident Examination
The pilot first reported 4 months and 19 days after the accident that his passport, which was in the airplane at the time, had burned pages. He was repeatedly asked for a signed, dated statement explaining where it was located and that it was not burned before the flight; he did not provide a statement.
Examination of the airplane by the FAA and NTSB revealed no evidence of an in-flight fire to any portion of the airplane, including the right engine, engine compartment area, or upper right engine cowling. The left engine showed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. The left magneto operated satisfactorily on a test bench. The right magneto had a broken distributor block and a bent electrode tang; no determination was made as to when these occurred. The left propeller blades were in the feathered position. The right engine showed no evidence of preimpact failure or malfunction. The right hand stack assembly was fractured due to overload, with no fatigue or through-wall thickness erosion. Both magnetos operated satisfactorily on a test bench. The right propeller was in the feathered position. An aluminum fuel line located in the cockpit that had been replaced the day before the accident was examined with no evidence of failure or malfunction; no fuel leakage was noted.