What happened
On Monday, 3 October 2022, a Britten-Norman Islander BN-2A-21 registered VH-WQA and operated by Torres Strait Air was conducting a non-scheduled passenger charter flight from Saibai Island Airport to Horn Island Airport in Queensland. The aircraft carried one pilot and six passengers (students) on board.
At approximately 1:38 pm local time, about 19 kilometres north-east of Moa Island, both engines began to surge and lose power. The pilot diverted towards Kubin Airport on Moa Island, but as the aircraft passed south of the township of Saint Pauls, the pilot determined there was insufficient altitude remaining to reach the airport. The pilot conducted a forced landing on a road approximately 7 kilometres east-north-east of Kubin Airport.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigated the occurrence and determined that the dual engine speed fluctuations and associated power loss were probably the result of fuel starvation. The investigation identified that the pilot did not operate the aircraft's fuel system in accordance with the aircraft flight manual, and that the configuration and location of the fuel controls and tank quantity gauges were probably not conducive to rapid and accurate interpretation. The aircraft manufacturer had released a service letter in June 2022 detailing an optional modification to centralise the fuel system controls and gauges, however this modification was not fitted to VH-WQA.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) completed its investigation into this occurrence.