What happened
During an approach to West Palm Beach while traveling from Orlando, the aircraft suffered a simultaneous failure of both engines. In response to the loss of power, the pilot decreased altitude and sought an emergency landing site on a nearby highway. During this maneuver, the crew identified a truck in the flight path. To prevent a collision with the vehicle, the pilot executed a sharp turn, which led to the aircraft crashing. Although the impact resulted in the aircraft being damaged beyond repair, all 33 occupants were successfully evacuated without injury.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the dual engine failure was the result of fuel exhaustion. Several contributing factors were identified during the inquiry, including improper fuel management and a lack of sufficient preflight preparation. The crew failed to monitor the remaining fuel supply adequately, noting that approximately seven hours had passed since the last recorded refueling. Additionally, the investigation highlighted that the pilot's attention was diverted from aircraft operations, which contributed to the failure to identify and avoid obstacles during the emergency descent.