What happened
During a flight traveling from Savusavu toward Suva, the aircraft was maintaining a cruising altitude of 2,500 feet when the pilot performed a fuel tank selector change. Immediately following this action, all three engines ceased functioning simultaneously.
In response to the loss of power, the pilot initiated an emergency descent to attempt a landing on a sandbar located near Bau Island. Upon touchdown, the undercarriage of the aircraft collapsed. While there were no fatalities among the eight occupants, everyone managed to evacuate the cabin without injury. The aircraft was subsequently determined to be a total loss after being exposed to saltwater.
Findings
The investigation concluded that the simultaneous failure of all engines was caused by an air lock within one of the fuel tanks.