Incident Overview
An aircraft operating local skydiving missions from Hoogeveen Airport experienced a simultaneous failure of both engines while cruising at an altitude of 8,000 feet. The crew immediately instructed the skydivers to bail out and then attempted to return to the airport for an emergency landing.
Emergency Landing
On final approach, the crew determined that they would not be able to reach the runway. They subsequently carried out an emergency landing in a potato field located approximately 500 meters short of the runway. Both pilots escaped the landing without injury, but the aircraft sustained damage beyond repair.
Probable Cause
According to the official investigation, the probable cause of the accident was a double engine failure resulting from fuel exhaustion. The investigation determined that the crew had miscalculated the necessary fuel quantity for the entire mission, as the accident occurred after six rotations.
