What happened
During a flight traveling from Stewart Island toward Invercargill, the crew of a Cessna 402 experienced an initial failure of the right-hand engine. The pilot attempted to rectify the issue by adjusting the fuel tank selectors located on the floor. Shortly after this adjustment, both engines ceased operation. Following the loss of power, the pilot issued a Mayday distress call and informed those on board that the aircraft would be forced to ditch in the water.
The aircraft successfully ditched approximately 12 nautical miles south of Invercargill. While all occupants managed to exit the aircraft, four individuals departed without life jackets. The pilot attempted to re-enter the cabin to assist others, but was unable to locate more passengers before the plane submerged. Upon arrival at the scene roughly one hour later, rescuers discovered that the four people without life jackets had died, along with a young boy who was wearing a life jacket.
Findings
An investigation by the TAIC found no evidence of mechanical component malfunctions capable of causing both engines to fail. However, seawater damage prevented a full verification of the fuel quantity system components. The investigation concluded that fuel starvation was the likely cause, as both fuel tank selectors had been set to the left-hand tank.
Several contributing factors were identified regarding the operator's procedures and equipment:
- The aircraft lacked a supplemental fuel quantity monitoring system.
- Pilots operated under the incorrect belief that the aircraft was equipped with low-fuel warning lights.
- There was potential for pilot exhaustion following a previous flight where gauges may have been misleading due to an unverified malfunction.
- Deficiencies in company record-keeping and the lack of required operational flight logs were noted.
The report also highlighted the importance of using phonetic alphabet clarity in radiotelephony, though it determined that confusion regarding the ditching location did not impact the rescue outcome.