What happened
Following a series of maintenance inspections and repairs, an aircraft was performing a ferry mission originating in Miami. The flight path included a scheduled stop in Nassau before continuing to its final destination in Kingston.
While operating the leg from Nassau to Kingston, the aircraft experienced a simultaneous loss of power in both engines. This mechanical failure forced the crew to perform an emergency ditching in the sea located south of Kingston. Although all four occupants were successfully rescued from the scene, the aircraft type was lost after it sank following the impact with the water.
Findings
The investigation determined that the primary reason for the accident was a total loss of engine power caused by the interruption of the fuel supply. Several maintenance and procedural errors contributed to this failure:
- The fuel shut-off cocks were installed incorrectly.
- There was a failure to repair the fuel sight gauges.
- Fuel selector valves had seized, which prevented the crew from performing effective pre-flight fuel system inspections during the stops in Miami and Nassau.
- The final inspection process before the aircraft was handed over was insufficient.
- The acceptance inspection of the aircraft was inadequate.
- Heavy sea conditions and weather near Kingston made a more direct approach difficult.