What happened
While operating enroute to its destination, an aircraft was flying at an altitude of 3,000 feet over the Gulf of Mexico. Approximately 15 nautical miles from the arrival airport, the right engine experienced a sudden loss of power. At the time of the initial failure, the pilot noted that fuel totalizers and the fuel quantity gauge both indicated approximately 48 gallons of fuel remained onboard.
Following the first engine failure, the pilot notified air traffic control and declared an emergency. Shortly after this communication, the left engine also lost power. The pilot attempted various troubleshooting procedures and tried to restart both engines, but these efforts failed to restore power. Consequently, the pilot performed a ditching in the water. The pilot was successfully rescued from the ocean without any injuries.
Findings
Because the aircraft was not recovered following the ditching, a physical examination of the wreckage was impossible. As a result, the specific reason for the simultaneous loss of power in both engines remains undetermined.