What happened
The incident occurred during a nighttime cruise leg of a flight traveling from England to South Africa. The aircraft was carrying a crew of four and eight passengers, all of whom were South African Army officers returning home. While cruising at night, both engines on the left side of the aircraft stopped operating simultaneously. The flight crew attempted to restart the engines but was unable to do so.
Recognizing the critical situation, the captain decided to lower the altitude in an effort to locate a suitable area for an emergency landing. However, no appropriate terrain was available near the aircraft's position. While flying at low altitude, the plane struck the ground and crashed into a field, where it caught fire. The accident resulted in eleven fatalities, with the captain being the sole survivor among the twelve occupants.
Findings
Investigations revealed that the crew had initiated a fuel transfer from auxiliary tanks to the main tanks during flight. A lack of coordination or a misinterpretation of the situation led the crew to forget to stop this transfer process. Consequently, the fuel pump remained active, draining the specific tanks that supplied both left engines. This caused those engines to run out of fuel and fail simultaneously.