Freeport

The aircraft crashed into a garbage and metal recycling plant after striking a towering crane in the Grand Bahama Shipyard, while attempting a second landing approach to runway 06 at Freeport International Airport (MYGF), Freeport, Grand Bahama, Bahamas. The aircraft made an initial ILS instrument approach to Runway 06 at the Freeport International Airport but due to poor visibility and rain at the decision height, the crew executed a go around procedure. The crew requested to hold at the published holding point at 2,000 feet while they waited for the weather to improve. Once cleared for the second ILS approach, the crew proceeded inbound from the holding location to intercept the localizer of the ILS system associated with the instrument approach. During the approach, the crew periodically reported their position to ATC, as the approach was not in a radar environment. The crew was given current weather conditions and advised that the conditions were again deteriorating. The crew continued their approach and descended visually while attempting to find the runway, until the aircraft struck the crane positioned at Dock #2 of the Shipyard at approximately 220 feet above sea level, some 3.2 nautical miles (nm) from the runway threshold. A fireball lasting approximately 3 seconds was observed as a result of the contact between the aircraft and the crane. The right outboard wing, right landing gear and right wingtip fuel tank, separated from the aircraft on impact. This resulted in the aircraft travelling out of control, some 1,578 feet (526 yards) before crashing inverted into a pile of garbage and other debris in the City Services Garbage and Metal Recycling Plant adjacent to the Grand Bahama Shipyard. Both crew and 7 passengers were fatally injured. No person on the ground was injured. The crane in the shipyard that was struck received minimal damages while the generator unit and other equipment in the recycling plant received extensive damages.

On 18 August, 2014 at 10:02am local time (1402Z) UTC a fixed wing, twin-engine, Cessna 3 4 0 A aircraft, United States registration N340MM, serial number 340A0635, crashed into waters while on a left base to runway 06 at Grand Bahama International Airport (MYGF) Freeport, Grand Bahama, Bahamas. The aircraft departed Ormond Beach Municipal Airport (KOMN) at 8:51am local time (1251Z) for Grand Bahama International Airport (MYGF) on an Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flight plan with the pilot and three passengers aboard. Sometime after 9:00am (1300Z) an IFR inbound flight plan on N340MM was received by Freeport Approach Control from Miami Center. Upon initial contact with Freeport Approach Control the pilot was given weather advisory, re-cleared to Freeport VOR and told to maintain four thousand feet and report at JAKEL intersection. He was also advised to expect an RNAV runway six approach. After the pilot’s acknowledgement of the information he later acknowledged his position crossing JAKEL. Freeport Approach then instructed the aircraft to descend to two thousand feet and cleared him direct to JENIB intersection for the RNAV runway six (6) approach. After descending to two thousand feet the pilot indicated to Freeport Approach that he had the field in sight and was able to make a visual approach. Freeport Approach re-cleared the aircraft for a visual approach and instructed the pilot to contact Freeport Control Tower on frequency 118.5. At 9:57am (1357Z) N340MM established contact with Freeport Tower and was cleared for the visual approach to runway six; he was told to join the left base and report at five (5) DME. At 10:01am (1401Z) the pilot reported being out of fuel and his intention was to dead stick the aircraft into the airport from seven miles out at an altitude of one thousand five hundred feet. A minute later the pilot radioed ATC to indicate they “were going down and expected to be in the water about five miles north of the airport.” Freeport Tower tried to get confirmation of the last transmission but was unable to. Several more calls went out from Freeport Tower to N340MM but communication was never reestablished. Freeport Control Tower then made request of aircrafts departing and arriving to assist in locating the lost aircraft by over flying the vicinity of the last reported position to see if visual contact could be made. An inbound aircraft reported seeing an aircraft down five miles from the airport on the 300 degree radial of the ZFP VOR. Calls were made to all the relevant agencies and search and rescue initiated. The aircraft was located at GPS coordinates 26˚ 35.708’N and 078˚ 47. 431 W. The aircraft received substantial damage as a result of the impact and crash sequence. There were no survivors.

At approximately 0423UTC on April 21, 2006 the pilot reported that approximately 20 miles out of Freeport, both hydraulic pressure lights illuminated on the annunciator panel. He extended the gear and noticed only the right gear safe light illuminated. The pilot obtained the assistance of a passenger, who retrieved the aircraft pilot operating handbook and read the appropriate procedures as the pilot followed the instructions for emergency gear extension. The pilot stated that he landed the aircraft on the right main gear, hoping this action would release the left main and nose gear. After realizing that this manoeuvre was not successful, he decided to initiate a go-around. Before he could get the aircraft airborne the left propeller made contact with the ground. The aircraft touched down approximately 9,000 feet from the threshold of runway 06; which has a total length of 11,000 feet. The aircraft travelled approximately 1,500 feet on its right main wheel before it veered off the left shoulder of the runway, struck several trees and finally came to rest pointing in a northwesterly direction. The approximate final position was measured to be 180 feet from the side of the runway. The aircraft left wing burst into flames. The left wing and left side of the fuselage was substantially damaged by fire. The four occupants escaped with only minor injuries.

While in cruise flight at 6,500 feet, the airplane's engine jolted and made a whining noise. The propeller stopped and feathered. Attempts to restore engine power were unsuccessful. An emergency was declared, and the airplane was ditched into the Atlantic Ocean 20 miles east of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The airplane was not recovered for post-crash examination.

On July 20, 2000, about 1312 eastern daylight time, a Douglas DC-3, N54AA, registered to Allied Air Freight, Inc., operating as a Title 14 CFR Part 135 cargo charter flight, crashed after takeoff from Nassau International Airport, New Providence Island, Bahamas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a VFR flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed by post crash fire and the ATP-rated pilot and commercially-rated copilot were fatally injured. The flight originated about 6 minutes before the accident. According to initial reports, after takeoff from runway 14, the pilot advised the tower that he would have to shut down the right engine and return for an emergency landing on runway 14. The airplane was observed to lose altitude and crash about 2 miles from the airport, east of the extended centerline of runway 14.

On August 28, 1995, about 1331 eastern daylight time, a Beech E18S, N171LG, registered to Caribbean Leasing Company, and operated by Avmac Air, Inc., as a 14 CFR Part 135 nonscheduled international cargo flight, from Orlando, Florida, to Freeport, Bahamas, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, about 45 miles northwest of Freeport. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed. The aircraft was destroyed. The airline transport-rated pilot has not been located and is presumed to have been fatally injured. The flight originated from Orlando, on August 28, 1995, about 1229. A person identifying himself as the pilot of N171LG contacted the FAA Miami Flight Service Station by radio at 1328:33. The pilot reported he was 46 miles northwest of Freeport and requested information on the weather at Freeport. The pilot was given the weather. At 1330:15 the pilot reported he had an emergency. The controller asked what is the emergency and the pilot reported "fire onboard." No further transmissions from the flight were received and attempts to contact the flight were unsuccessful. See the transcript of communications. Search and rescue efforts were initiated and at 1600, a oil slick, the left main landing gear from N171LG, and personal effects of the pilot and debris from the cabin contents were found floating on the ocean surface, 40 miles northwest of Freeport. Examination of the recovered debris showed no evidence of fire damage. The main wreckage of N171LG was not located and recovered.

The pilot stated the left engine backfired and began to run rough shortly after takeoff. The engine was shut down and the propeller was feathered. He decided to return and land on the departure runway. Witnesses observed the aircraft on the downwind leg at 800 to 1,000 feet with the landing gear extended. As the aircraft turned to base leg it yawed sharply to the left and the left wing dropped. The aircraft descended rapidly. The pilot stated that as he turned from base to final leg at 75 to 100 feet the aircraft was buffeting and beginning to stall. He realized he would not make the runway and crash landed in a vacant lot. Examination of the left engine after the accident revealed no evidence to indicate precrash failure or malfunction of the engine.

After takeoff from Sandy Point Airport, the twin engine airplane encountered difficulties to gain height. It collided with trees, stalled and crashed in a wooded area, bursting into flames. All eight occupants were seriously injured and the aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire.

On approach to Freeport Airport, the twin engine airplane went out of control and crashed in the sea few miles offshore. All five occupants were killed.

Pilot ditched aircraft in Atlantic Ocean after losing power in both engines. The three occupants escaped uninjured and were picked up by a nearby boat. The aircraft sank in approximately 800 feet of water about 5 minutes after ditching. Post accident inspection of operator records along with a statement from the previous pilot who flew the aircraft revealed that approximately 26 pounds of fuel remained on board the aircraft at the time of the accident. Cessna Aircraft Company representative stated that the cessna 402C aircraft has an unusable fuel capacity of 44.4 pounds in critical flight attitudes and that this figure is lower in more normal attitudes.