What happened
While conducting a public use flight between two islands, an aircraft was transporting residents of a correctional facility to attend scheduled court hearings. As the aircraft was descending toward its destination airport at an altitude of roughly 1,400 feet, the crew observed both engines beginning to surge.
Despite the pilot's efforts to stabilize the engines and restore standard power levels, the surging continued. Consequently, the pilot performed a ditching in the ocean. Following the impact with the water, the aircraft remained buoyant long enough for the pilot and all passengers to evacuate the cabin. Shortly after the evacuation, the aircraft sank beneath the surface. Because the wreckage was not retrieved from the sea, a physical inspection of the engines could not be performed.
Findings
- The aircraft experienced a simultaneous loss of stable power in both engines.
- The inability to restore normal engine power led to the decision to ditch in the ocean.
- The aircraft was not recovered, which prevented a definitive investigation into the mechanical origin of the engine surges.