- Date
- September 19, 1994, 08:42 local (12:42 UTC)
- Place
- Missing
- Injuries
- 5 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Unknown
- Aircraft
- N6844YPiper PA-23-250
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 18, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19940919028329A
- Case key
- 37434
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
Undetermined.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The airplane was lost from radio and radar contact over the caribbean sea. The airplane and the occupants were not located during search operations. Review of weather satellite images after the accident revealed the airplane was lost in an area of building showers and thunderstorms. The injuries and aircraft damage reported above are presumed.
Factual narrative
On September 19, 1994, about 0842 Atlantic standard time, N6844Y, a Piper PA-23-250, registered to the pilot, Mr. Fitzroy Williams, disappeared from radar over the Caribbean Sea, while on a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. The weather condition near the accident location are unknown and an IFR flight plan had been filed and activated. The airplane, the pilot and the four passengers have not been found; therefore, the damage is presumed to be destroyed and the injuries are presumed to be fatal. The flight originated from Canefield Airport, Dominica, about 0730 the same day.
FAA controllers on duty at San Juan, Puerto Rico, CERAP, stated that the pilot had reported over ILURI intersection on Amber 555 airway at 8,000 feet. Shortly thereafter about 0842, the controller lost radar and radio contact with the airplane. The last recorded radar contact with the airplane was at 7,800 feet about 16 miles northwest of ILURI intersection. The U.S. Coast Guard conducted air and sea searches with negative results.
A review of available weather satellite data revealed that an area of intense and building showers and thunderstorms along the Amber 555 airway, in the vicinity of where radar contact with the flight was lost.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6844Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-C4B5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- Unknown
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Williams, Fitzroy
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- TDCF · Canefield, OF
- Destination
- KSTT · St.Thomas
- Flight plan
- IFR
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
- 28
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 264 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SJU, 95 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.