La Romana

While descending to La Romana Airport following a flight from Caracas, the crew informed ATC about technical problems and ditched the aircraft about 64 km off Saona Island, southeast of La Romana. One passenger was killed while six other occupants were rescued by Porto Rico Coast Guards.

On June 2, 2000, about 1240 Atlantic standard time, a Cessna 401, Dominican Republic registration HI-696CT, registered to and operated by Air Century, crashed shortly after takeoff from La Romana International Airport, La Romana, Dominican Republic, while on an instructional flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft was destroyed. The commercial-rated pilot received fatal injuries. The commercial-rated second pilot received serious injuries. The flight was originating at the time of the accident. Civil aviation authorities stated that the flight was an instructional flight. Shortly after takeoff on runway 12, the pilot simulated the failure of the left engine. Control of the aircraft was lost and the aircraft crashed 350 meters from the runway. Examination of the aircraft and engines showed no mechanical anomalies.

The aircraft departed Santo Domingo-Las Américas Airport at 0822LT on a cargo flight to Aguadilla. Few minutes later, the crew informed ATC about technical problems and was cleared to return. In unclear circumstances, the aircraft crashed 88 minutes after its departure in an isolated area located in the region of La Romana. The aircraft was destroyed and both pilots were killed.

The crew was completing a cargo flight from Miami to La Romana on behalf of Warnaco Inc. Shortly after a night takeoff from runway 27L at Miami-Intl Airport, while in initial climb, the crew encountered very bad weather conditions with heavy rain falls and turbulences. The airplane went out of control and crashed nose first in the Everglades National park, about 8,9 NM northwest of the airport. The aircraft was destroyed and all three crew members were killed.