Incident Overview
While cruising at an altitude of 11,000 feet en route from Hamilton, Bermuda, to Lajes, Azores Islands, the manifold pressure on the right engine dropped from 30 to 17 inches. The captain decided to return to Hamilton for a safe landing. Twenty minutes later, the right engine backfired as the manifold pressure increased to 20 inches. The crew shut down the engine and feathered its propeller.
Sequence of Events
Less than an hour after the right engine failure, while flying at an altitude of 3,000 feet, the left engine began smoking and lost oil. In response, the crew decided to ditch the aircraft near the weather station 'Echo' located in the Atlantic Ocean, east of the Bermuda archipelago. The aircraft sank and was lost.
Rescue
All ten crew members were rescued and evacuated by the crew of the USCGC Coos Bay.
Probable Cause
Double engine failure.