Crash of a Cessna 340A off Cockburn Town

Date & Time: Jan 3, 2023 at 1117 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N824BC
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Basseterre – Providenciales
MSN:
340A-0306
YOM:
1977
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The twin engine airplane departed Basseterre-Robert L. Bradshaw Airport in St Kitts & Nevis on a flight to Providenciales, Turks & Caicos Islands (distance 1,116 km). Approaching Cockburn Town (Grand Turk Island), the pilot informed ATC he was shot of fuel and later ditched the airplane offshore. All four occupants were rescued by a fisherman around 15h30. The aircraft sank.

Crash of a Cessna 401A off Salt Cay

Date & Time: Jul 24, 2009
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
VQ-TLG
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
401A-0114
YOM:
1969
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While flying around Salt Cay, the pilot was forced to attempt an emergency landing and ditched the airplane offshore. He was rescued while the aircraft came to rest in shallow water and was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Britten-Norman BN-2A Trislander off Providenciales: 12 killed

Date & Time: Dec 15, 2008 at 1645 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N650LP
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Santiago de los Caballeros – Mayaguana – New York
MSN:
1029
YOM:
1976
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
11
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
12
Circumstances:
The aircraft was making a charter flight from Santiago de los Caballeros to New York with an intermediate stop at Mayaguana, Bahamas. The flight departed Santiago-Cibao Airport, Dominican Republic, at 1605LT. Thirty-five minutes later, while cruising off the Turks & Caicos Islands, the pilot sent a brief mayday message and the aircraft crashed 25 km off Providenciales. SAR teams and US Coast Guards did not find any trace of the aircraft nor the 12 occupants. A spokesman from the Dominican Pilots Association later reported that the pilot's licence had been suspended in October 2006.

Crash of a Beechcraft 200C Super King Air off East Bay Cay: 1 killed

Date & Time: Feb 6, 2007 at 1842 LT
Operator:
Registration:
VQ-TIU
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
East Bay Cay - Grand Turk
MSN:
BL-131
YOM:
1988
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Captain / Total flying hours:
8500
Captain / Total hours on type:
394.00
Aircraft flight hours:
24578
Aircraft flight cycles:
31684
Circumstances:
The aircraft was parked on the small apron at North Caicos Airport while the pilot went home to collect some personal items. One of the intended passengers saw the aircraft arrive. He remained in the vicinity until the pilot returned, and reported that the aircraft was unattended in the intervening time. When the pilot returned, four of the five passengers were gathered near the aircraft, and the last passenger arrived soon afterwards. The pilot, a local man well-known to the passengers, appeared to be his normal self and in good spirits. As most inter-island travel in the TCI is by air, the passengers were also familiar with the operator’s aircraft and used to travelling by air. Some had flown frequently on VQ-TIU. The pilot supervised embarkation and gave an emergency briefing. One passenger reported that the pilot made a mobile telephone call, which he presumed to be to Air Traffic Control (ATC) at Providenciales to notify them of the proposed flight. Prior to seating himself at the controls, the pilot told the passengers that they may expect some turbulence. The aircraft taxied onto the runway at its eastern end and along its length for a departure from Runway 08. It was about one hour after sunset and outside the airport’s normal operating hours, so there were no ATC personnel on duty. The runway lights were operated by the operator’s station manager. The aircraft took off at 1840 hrs. Soon after takeoff the aircraft was seen to start a turn to the right, which was consistent with its routing to Grand Turk, some 54 nm to the south-east. However, the aircraft reached a relatively large angle of bank and started to descend. The descent continued until it crashed with significant forward speed into an area of very shallow water. The aircraft broke up on impact, with the fuselage section coming to rest nearly inverted but comparatively intact. All those on board survived the impact sequence with varying degrees of injury. However, the pilot died before he could receive specialist medical treatment.
Probable cause:
The investigation identified the following causal factors:
1. The aircraft adopted an excessive degree of right bank soon after takeoff. This led to a descending, turning flight path which persisted until the aircraft was too low to make a safe recovery.
2. The pilot probably became spatially disoriented and was unable to recognise or correct the situation in time to prevent the accident.
The investigation identified the following contributory factors:
1. The environmental conditions were conducive to a spatial disorientation event.
2. The pilot had probably consumed alcohol prior to the flight, which made him more prone to becoming disorientated.
3. The flight was operated single-pilot when two pilots were required under applicable regulations. The presence of a second pilot would have provided a significant measure of protection against the effects of the flying pilot becoming disoriented.
Final Report:

Crash of a Piper PA-31-310 Navajo off Providenciales

Date & Time: Jul 10, 1993 at 1015 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N36L
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Cap Haïtien - Great Inagua
MSN:
31-10
YOM:
1967
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
2027
Captain / Total hours on type:
380.00
Circumstances:
On July 10, 1993, about 1015 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-31, N36L, registered to and operated by the Schaked Corporation, experienced total loss of power from both engines due to fuel exhaustion and was ditched about 18 nautical miles south of the Providenciales Airport, Turks and Caicos Islands, while on a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and a VFR flight plan was filed. The airplane has not been recovered and is presumed to be destroyed. The airline transport-rated pilot and commercial pilot-rated passenger sustained minor injuries. The flight originated about 0900 from Cap Haitien, Haiti. The day before the accident flight, the fuel tanks were filled and the airplane was then flown for about 2 hours. After landing, the pilot requested an auxiliary power unit (APU) for the following morning to jump start the engines due to electrical system problems. The pilot further stated that during the airplane preflight, he visually determined that the fuel tanks were 1/2 full. The APU was used to start the engines and about 20 minutes after departure, the electrical system failed. The flight continued and about 44 minutes later, Grand Turk Approach Control was contacted using a hand held radio. A clearance to land was requested and the controller was advised that the airplane was low on fuel. The controller advised the crew that the flight was about 60 miles east of the airport and the Providenciales Airport was about 31 miles north of their position. The flight proceeded directly to that airport and shortly thereafter, the pilot stated that the left engine failed due to fuel exhaustion. About 5 minutes later, the right engine failed due to the same reason. The airplane was ditched and the occupants were rescued about 7 hours after the ditching. According to the pilot-rated passenger, the pilot reset the alternators and voltage regulators after contact was established with the approach control facility.
Probable cause:
Total loss of engine power from both engines due to fuel exhaustion after the pilot became lost/disoriented. Contributing to the accident was the delay by the pilot-in-command to execute the emergency procedure by resetting the alternators and voltage regulators following total failure of the electrical system. Also contributing to the accident was the operation of the airplane by the pilot-in-command with known deficiencies in equipment.
Final Report:

Crash of a Grumman G-21A Goose off Turks and Caicos Islands

Date & Time: Dec 15, 1992
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N3116T
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
B104
YOM:
1944
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
After landing in the west part of the Turks & Caicos Islands, the seaplane collided with reef and sank in deep water. All four occupants were rescued.

Crash of a Cessna 401 in Cockburn Town: 1 killed

Date & Time: Aug 3, 1989 at 1815 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N277A
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Cockburn Town - Five Cays
MSN:
401-0043
YOM:
1967
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances after takeoff from Cockburn Town Airport. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

Crash of a Douglas DC-4 in Cockburn Harbour

Date & Time: Jan 31, 1985
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N88939
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
18397
YOM:
1944
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On final approach to Cockburn Harbour Airport runway 29, the four engine struck the ground and crashed, bursting into flames. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-6'-CK Commando off Cockburn Town

Date & Time: Sep 12, 1979 at 0615 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N7768B
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Miami - Cockburn Town - Charlotte Amalie
MSN:
467
YOM:
1945
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
9023
Captain / Total hours on type:
6044.00
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Cockburn Town Airport runway 11, while in initial climb, one of the engine failed. The crew attempted an emergency landing and ditched the aircraft in a lagoon, about 1,6 km from the runway end. The airplane came to rest in shallow water and was damaged beyond repair. All three occupants escaped uninjured.
Probable cause:
Engine failure for unknown reasons.
Final Report:

Crash of a Britten-Norman BN-2A-21 Islander off Turks and Caicos Islands: 10 killed

Date & Time: Dec 26, 1978
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
HH-CNB
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Cockburn Harbour - Cockburn Town
MSN:
442
YOM:
1975
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
En route from Cockburn Harbour to Cockburn Town, the copilot declared an emergency after an engine failed in flight. The airplane lost height and crashed into the sea off Turks and Caicos Islands. All 10 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Engine failure for undetermined reasons.