What happened
On July 10, 1993, a Piper PA-31, registration N36L, operated by the Schaked Corporation, was involved in an accident during a personal flight near the Turks and Caicos Islands. The aircraft had departed from Cap Haitien, Haiti, at approximately 0900. During the flight, the aircraft's electrical system failed roughly 20 minutes after takeoff. Following this failure, the crew utilized a handheld radio to contact Grand Turk Approach Control approximately 44 minutes later to request landing clearance.
During communications with air traffic control, the pilot indicated that the aircraft was running low on fuel. While attempting to reach Providenciales Airport, the left engine ceased operation due to fuel exhaustion. Approximately five minutes after the first engine failed, the right engine also lost power for the same reason. The aircraft was ditched in the water roughly 18 nautical miles south of Providenciales Airport. The occupants, consisting of an airline transport-rated pilot and a commercial pilot-rated passenger, both sustained minor injuries. The aircraft was not recovered and is believed to be destroyed.
Findings
Investigations into the event revealed that the fuel exhaustion was the primary factor leading to the loss of power. Although the pilot had visually inspected the tanks during preflight and believed they were half full, the engines lost power sequentially. The aircraft had been flown for two hours the previous day after being refueled, and the pilot had specifically requested an auxiliary power unit to assist with engine starts due to existing electrical issues. Following the electrical failure in flight, the pilot attempted to reset the alternators and voltage regulators while in transit.