On June 12, 1998, a Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain (registration CN-TFP) operated by Rif Air was involved in an aviation accident near Jersey, United Kingdom during landing or approach. One person was killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The commander had not made an appropriate allowance for adverse headwind components before or during the flight. The aircraft was not carrying sufficient fuel for the intended flight. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A).
A pilot on a delivery flight from Tangier to Guernsey diverted to Jersey due to technical problems, but both engines stopped from fuel exhaustion, leading to a ditching 3 nm northwest of Jersey. The pilot was killed.
Introduction
A delivery flight from Tangier to Saint Peter-La Villiaze on Guernsey Island ended in a fatal ditching near Jersey when the aircraft ran out of fuel. The pilot was the sole occupant.
Sequence of Events
While approaching the Channel Islands, the pilot informed air traffic control about technical problems and elected to divert to Jersey Airport. Shortly thereafter, both engines stopped due to fuel exhaustion. The aircraft lost height and crashed into the sea approximately 3 nautical miles northwest of Jersey Island. The aircraft was destroyed, and the pilot was killed.
Probable Cause
Official findings identified several causal factors: the commander had not made an appropriate allowance for adverse headwind components before or during the flight; the aircraft was not carrying sufficient fuel for the intended flight; the commander apparently ignored pre-flight and in-flight indications that he should land and refuel in France; and the commander's chances of survival were adversely affected by not adopting the optimum configuration and heading for ditching.