Incident
During a night flight over The Channel at an altitude of 12,000 feet, the port engine stopped. The captain feathered its propeller, informed ATC about his position, and obtained permission to divert to Manston Airport. A few minutes later, the right engine also failed. The crew decided to ditch the aircraft approximately 12 km off Folkestone.
Rescue
After one hour, four crew members and two passengers were rescued by the crew of a boat. Three other passengers drowned. The aircraft later sank and was lost.
Investigation
The probable cause was determined to be failure of both engines in flight following fuel exhaustion. It was found that at the time of the accident, the fuel tanks were empty because the aircraft had not been refueled prior to takeoff from Geneva Airport. The crew had requested refueling before takeoff, but for an unknown reason, this operation was not completed. Additionally, both pilots failed to follow the pre-departure checklist and failed to check the fuel gauges before departure.