What happened
A Shrike Commander was conducting a charter operation under visual flight rules, traveling from Horn Island to the Saibai and Boigu Islands. After completing the legs to Saibai and Boigu, the aircraft began its return flight to Horn Island. During the descent, the pilot maintained an altitude of 5,500 ft until approximately 35 NM from the destination. As the aircraft approached runway 14, the pilot extended the landing gear and flaps, initiating a long final approach.
When the aircraft was roughly 3 NM from the runway, both engines began to surge, causing the plane to yaw to the right. The pilot initiated emergency procedures and retracted the flaps. While attempting to identify which engine was malfunctioning by cycling the throttles, the pilot determined the right engine was failing, subsequently shutting it down and feathering the propeller. However, as the aircraft descended to about 200 ft above the surface, the left engine also lost power.
The pilot transitioned the aircraft into a glide and issued a MAYDAY call on the flight service frequency. After notifying passengers to prepare for impact, the aircraft ditched in the sea. The aircraft subsequently sank to the seabed. There were no fatalities among the five occupants, all of whom successfully evacuated the wreckage and reached the shore.
Findings
- The aircraft experienced a dual engine failure during the final approach phase.