What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(-23) The britten-norman islander N616GL was on a part 135 flight from anegada to virgin gorda, british virgin islands. At 18:55 uct lost power in its two engines making an obligated ditching off the southwest coast of Tortola, british virgin islands. The airplane was recovered from the sea and carefully examined. A total of 85 U.S. Gallons of fuel were found in its two main tanks. No fuel was found in its tip tanks. The fuel management control in the cockpit showed that the pilot was feeding the engines from the airplane's main tanks. While the main tanks still drained fuel from its drains, the engines' fuel drains did not expel fuel at all. Later in the investigation it was discovered that after several flights around the caribbean islands the airplane undertook maintenance in its fuel system the day before the ditch. The fuel tip tanks were deferred as inoperative after trying to bring them back to service by maintenance personnel. A total of 10 U.S. Gallons were left in each of the two wingtip tanks but disconnected from the fuel system itself according to maintenance. After the accident, the fuel tanks were verified for its content. The tip tanks had no fuel and the main tanksstill contained the 85 U.S. Gallons.
As the FAA filed it
(-23) THE BRITTEN-NORMAN ISLANDER N616GL WAS ON A PART 135 FLIGHT FROM ANEGADA TO VIRGIN GORDA, BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS. AT 18:55 UCT LOST POWER IN ITS TWO ENGINES MAKING AN OBLIGATED DITCHING OFF THE SOUTHWEST COAST OF TORTOLA, BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS. THE AIRPLANE WAS RECOVERED FROM THE SEA AND CAREFULLY EXAMINED. A TOTAL OF 85 U.S. GALLONS OF FUEL WERE FOUND IN ITS TWO MAIN TANKS. NO FUEL WAS FOUND IN ITS TIP TANKS. THE FUEL MANAGEMENT CONTROL IN THE COCKPIT SHOWED THAT THE PILOT WAS FEEDING THE ENGINES FROM THE AIRPLANE'S MAIN TANKS. WHILE THE MAIN TANKS STILL DRAINED FUEL FROM ITS DRAINS, THE ENGINES' FUEL DRAINS DID NOT EXPEL FUEL AT ALL. LATER IN THE INVESTIGATION IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT AFTER SEVERAL FLIGHTS AROUND THE CARIBBEAN ISLANDS THE AIRPLANE UNDERTOOK MAINTENANCE IN ITS FUEL SYSTEM THE DAY BEFORE THE DITCH. THE FUEL TIP TANKS WERE DEFERRED AS INOPERATIVE AFTER TRYING TO BRING THEM BACK TO SERVICE BY MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL. A TOTAL OF 10 U.S. GALLONS WERE LEFT IN EACH OF THE TWO WINGTIP TANKS BUT DISCONNECTED FROM THE FUEL SYSTEM ITSELF ACCORDING TO MAINTENANCE. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE FUEL TANKS WERE VERIFIED FOR ITS CONTENT. THE TIP TANKS HAD NO FUEL AND THE MAIN TANKSSTILL CONTAINED THE 85 U.S. GALLONS.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.