Crash of a Gulfstream GIII off Canouan: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 22, 2023 at 1435 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N337LR
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Canouan - Canouan
MSN:
337
YOM:
1981
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Canouan Airport at 1427LT on a local flight, carrying apparently three passengers and one pilot. About six minutes after takeoff, the airplane disappeared from radar screens and crashed into the sea two minutes later, at 1435LT. It is unclear if the wreckage was found. The airplane's operations were apparently monitored by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for some time and it is believed that the pilot may have switched off the transponder after takeoff. Illegal operation suspected.

Crash of a Cessna 402C off Bequia Island: 1 killed

Date & Time: Aug 5, 2010 at 2216 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
J8-SXY
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Kingstown - Canouan
MSN:
402C-0519
YOM:
1981
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The pilot was performing an ambulance flight from Kingstown-E. T. Joshua Airport to Canouan. En route, while cruising off Bequia Island, the twin engine aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in the sea. Some debris were found the following day but no trace of the pilot.

Crash of a Rockwell Shrike Commander 500S off Kingstown: 2 killed

Date & Time: Nov 19, 2006 at 1853 LT
Operator:
Registration:
J8-VAX
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Canouan - Kingstown
MSN:
500-1869-45
YOM:
1969
Flight number:
SVD360
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft departed Canouan Island Airport at 1842LT on a short flight to Kingstown, Saint Vincent & Grenadines, carrying one passenger and one pilot. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot was instructed to report once passing over Bequia Island. Few minutes later, after passing Bequia Island, the pilot contacted ATC and reported he was at the altitude of 1,100 feet with an ETA in Kingstown in four minutes. At 1853LT, the aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances in the sea. The next morning, few debris were found floating on water and no trace of both occupants was ever found. The passenger was the Director of American Eagle for the Canouan Island. All SAR operations were abandoned few days later and the wreckage was not found.
Probable cause:
Due to the absence of evidences, the cause of the accident could not be determined.

Crash of a Piper PA-31-310 Navajo off Barbados: 2 killed

Date & Time: May 18, 2003 at 2046 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
G-ILEA
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Canouan – Bridgetown
MSN:
31-7812117
YOM:
1978
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
390
Captain / Total hours on type:
70.00
Circumstances:
The aircraft was on a flight from Canouan, a small island in the St Vincent group, to Barbados. Shortly after entering Barbados airspace, radar recordings show the aircraft deviated to the south of a direct easterly track to Barbados and descended from cruise flight level (FL) 55 to an altitude of 2,300 feet. The aircraft levelled at 2,300 feet and resumed an easterly track for about six minutes before once again deviating to the south and commencing a further descent. About 16 minutes after the aircraft's initial descent from FL55, the pilots of a commercial aircraft flying from Grenada to Barbados relayed a MAYDAY call from G-ILEA to Barbados Arrivals reporting that the pilot "had lost one engine; it appeared he was losing fuel and he doubted that he would be able to make it to Barbados". Some three and a half minutes after the initial MAYDAY call, the pilot of the commercial aircraft relayed a further message stating that the pilot intended to ditch. The final radar return for the aircraft showed it at an altitude of 600 feet about 55 miles on the 259° radial from Barbados Airport. Despite an extensive search and rescue operation, no trace of the aircraft or its two occupants was found. A reconciliation of fuel receipts and flight times shows that, at best, the aircraft would have been short of fuel for the flight, and at worst could have run out of fuel.
Probable cause:
No trace of the aircraft or its occupants has been discovered and the lack of any wreckage makes it difficult to come to firm conclusions on the cause of this accident. The reported pilot's statement from he relayed MAYDAY transmission that "it appeared he was losing fuel" points to some problem with the fuel system, but there was no indication on how the pilot came to this judgement. A rupture in a fuel tank or a leak from one or more of the aircraft's fuel drains would have been difficult or impossible to detect visually from the cockpit. Loss of a fuel filler cap may have resulted in loss of fuel. However, the relatively low fuel level in the tanks would probably have limited or precluded such a loss and since the caps on both sides are visible from the cockpit it might be expected that the pilot would have stated the problem in his emergency call. Alternatively, the pilot's assessment that he was losing fuel may have been based simply on a perceived rate of change of fuel contents on the fuel gauges. Indeed the reported use by the pilot of the phrase "appears to be losing fuel" may point to some uncertainty on the matter or that there was no physical evidence of fuel loss.
Final Report: