- Date
- January 3, 2023, 16:22 local (16:22 UTC)
- Place
- Atlantic Ocean, Turks & Caicos Islands · Deep water 14.5 SE of Grand Turk
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N824BCCessna 340A
- Defining event
- Enroute-descent: Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power)
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/IFO
- Case key
- 106542
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
A fuel system malfunction for reasons that could not be determined, which resulted in fuel starvation to both engines.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that he began the accident flight with 160 gallons of fuel on board. The airplane was equipped with two main wingtip fuel tanks, two in-wing auxiliary fuel tanks, and one engine nacelle locker fuel tank. His normal procedure was to operate for 50 minutes out of the main tanks, then use most of the fuel in the auxiliary tanks, then transfer fuel out of the locker tank and use all of that fuel. While approaching the destination airport, he attempted to transfer fuel from the locker tank; however, he later noticed that fuel was not transferring from that tank. Later, the right engine lost all power, followed by the left. He subsequently ditched the airplane in the ocean about 17 miles from of the destination airport. The airplane landed on the water, and the pilot and his passengers donned life vests and egressed before the airplane sank. The occupants were rescued about 4 hours later. The airplane was not recovered from the ocean and was presumed substantially damaged. A postaccident examination of the fuel system could not be performed and the reason for the pilot’s inability to transfer fuel from the engine nacelle locker tank could not be determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N824BC
- Reported as
- Cessna 340A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 340A0306
- Built
- 1977
- Airframe hours
- 4,795
- Engines
- Continental TSIO-520 Series, 335 horsepower, reciprocatingContinental TSIO-520 Series, 335 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Aonvo Investment LLC
- Registered owner
- Aonvo Investment LLC
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · May 28, 2022
- Departed
- TKPK · St. Kitts, AO
- Destination
- PLS · Providenciales, AO
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Auto-pilot, Angle of attack indicator, ADS-B, Stall warning system, Onboard weather, Electronic multifunction display
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 52
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- December 18, 2022
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 288 total · 250 as pilot in command · 38 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Observed at
- MBGT, 37 nm away
- METAR
- MBGT 031700Z 08008KT 9999 FEW015TCU SCT040 27/19 Q1021
Docket · 5
The files NTSB released with the investigation on June 15, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 27.7 MB in all.