What happened
During a nighttime flight, the crew encountered deteriorating weather conditions while cruising off the coast of Jersey. The situation forced an emergency ditching attempt, which resulted in the aircraft crashing into the sea. Debris from the accident was located several hours later, approximately 28 kilometers south of Jersey Island. All 10 occupants were killed in the incident. The crew consisted of a pilot and a mechanic, while the remaining eight individuals were passengers.
Findings
Investigations indicated that the undercarriage was extended at the time of the ditching, suggesting the pilot attempted to reach land after experiencing power failure. Rescue operations were significantly hindered by heavy seas and the absence of radio equipment on board, which would have allowed for position reporting. It was noted that dispatching an aircraft without a radio violated established directives. The primary technical issue involved fuel system failures during turbulent flight.