On May 31, 1990, a Cessna 404 Titan (registration G-DAFS) operated by Scottish Department of Agriculture and Fisheries was involved in an aviation accident near Colonsay Island, United Kingdom in flight. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Failure of the right engine for undetermined reasons. The right engine had been changed (brand new) last May 22 and achieved 40 hours since. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A).
A twin-engine aircraft ditched 5 nm east of Colonsay Island after its right engine failed. All three occupants were rescued after 40 minutes and suffered hypothermia.
Incident
A twin-engine aircraft departed Edinburgh at 0832 local time on a flight to Stornoway. At 0859, the crew received clearance to reach the operational zone, and three minutes later reached an altitude of 3,500 feet under VFR mode. While cruising at 200 feet and 130 knots, the right engine lost power. The crew cancelled the sortie and decided to divert to Port Ellen Airport. After feathering the right propeller, the aircraft lost speed. The crew was unable to maintain a safe altitude and decided to ditch the aircraft 5 nautical miles east of Colonsay Island.
Rescue
All three occupants took refuge on the left wing. The aircraft sank after a few minutes, and the wreckage was not recovered. The occupants were rescued 40 minutes later. They suffered hypothermia; the water temperature was 11°C.
Probable Cause
The official finding attributed the failure of the right engine to undetermined reasons. The right engine had been changed (brand new) the previous May 22 and had accumulated 40 hours since.