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19970208001339A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Cessna 402C · Charlotte Amali, U.S. Virgin Islands · February 8, 1997

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
February 8, 1997 · 19:32 local
Place
Charlotte Amali, U.S. Virgin Islands
Airport
Cyril E King Airport
Phase of flight
Final Approach
Operating rules
Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
Operator
RSHA
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N318AB
NTSB investigation
NTSBMIA97FA082
Reported as
Cessna 402C
Reported engine
Continental TSIO520VB
People aboard
2
Fatal injuries
2
Pilot’s flight hours
13,000 total9,000 in this make and model290 in the last 90 days
N318ABRegistration cancelled Nov 19, 1997 · Cessna 402CS/N 402C0318Airframe modelCessna 402C

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On final approach, crashed in ocean. (.4)as the flight made a visual approach to the airport from the south over the sea, at night, the pilot changed his navigation radio from the VOR to the ILS system for runway 10 and lost DME reading from the VOR located on a hill north of the localizer course. The localizer showed the flight was south of the localizer course, and without DME from the VOR the pilot believed he was much closer to the island and the airport than the aircraft actually was. As the pilot attempted to make visual contact with the airport and maintain clearance from the hills he allowed the aircraft to descend and crash into the sea about 3 miles southwest of the airport. The pilot had not filed a FAA flight plan for the scheduled commuter flight. The pilot had been flying the route for 5 days and had no previous experience in the area. The pilot reported he had no mechanical malfunctions with the aircraft systems, flight controls, or engines. No FAA operations inspectors had conducted surveillance on the company's flight operations in the caribbean since service had begun in December 1996.

As the FAA filed it

ON FINAL APPROACH, CRASHED IN OCEAN. (.4)AS THE FLIGHT MADE A VISUAL APPROACH TO THE AIRPORT FROM THE SOUTH OVER THE SEA, AT NIGHT, THE PILOT CHANGED HIS NAVIGATION RADIO FROM THE VOR TO THE ILS SYSTEM FOR RUNWAY 10 AND LOST DME READING FROM THE VOR LOCATED ON A HILL NORTH OF THE LOCALIZER COURSE. THE LOCALIZER SHOWED THE FLIGHT WAS SOUTH OF THE LOCALIZER COURSE, AND WITHOUT DME FROM THE VOR THE PILOT BELIEVED HE WAS MUCH CLOSER TO THE ISLAND AND THE AIRPORT THAN THE AIRCRAFT ACTUALLY WAS. AS THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO MAKE VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE AIRPORT AND MAINTAIN CLEARANCE FROM THE HILLS HE ALLOWED THE AIRCRAFT TO DESCEND AND CRASH INTO THE SEA ABOUT 3 MILES SOUTHWEST OF THE AIRPORT. THE PILOT HAD NOT FILED A FAA FLIGHT PLAN FOR THE SCHEDULED COMMUTER FLIGHT. THE PILOT HAD BEEN FLYING THE ROUTE FOR 5 DAYS AND HAD NO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IN THE AREA. THE PILOT REPORTED HE HAD NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS WITH THE AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS, FLIGHT CONTROLS, OR ENGINES. NO FAA OPERATIONS INSPECTORS HAD CONDUCTED SURVEILLANCE ON THE COMPANY'S FLIGHT OPERATIONS IN THE CARIBBEAN SINCE SERVICE HAD BEGUN IN DECEMBER 1996.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB MIA97FA082Accident · 2 fatalField investigationFinal reportSt. ThomasThe failure of the pilot to maintain altitude while making a visual approach at night over water in black hole conditions resulting in the aircraft descending and crashing into the sea. Contributing to the accident was the failure of the pilot and operator to…Feb 8, 1997 · Destroyed

Other reports on N318AB · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Incident 19940724031699IRoll-Out (Fixed Wing) · St Petersburg-C, FLNarrative: aircraft was crosswind on final approach for runway 35R at st. Petersburg/Clearwater airport. After an uneventful touch down and during rollout the right main gear damage and sheet metal damage failure of right gear mechanism to lock subject gear…Jul 24, 1994 · Minor damage