Incident Details
An aircraft en route from Saint Louis, Missouri, to Boca Raton, Florida, experienced a failure of both engines during flight. The crew declared an emergency, reduced altitude, and attempted an emergency landing near Belle Glade, Florida.
Accident Sequence
After touchdown, the aircraft struck high vegetation, nosed down, and crashed. Both pilots escaped with minor injuries. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Investigation Findings
The official investigation determined that the probable cause of the accident was the failure of both engines in flight due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing factors included:
- Inadequate preflight preparation
- Mismanagement of fuel
- Miscalculated fuel consumption
- Fuel exhaustion
- Improper alignment/adjustment of the fuel quantity gauge
- High vegetation
- Complete failure of both engines
- Forced landing off airport on land