Crash of a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan off Belize City

Date & Time: Mar 9, 2005 at 1720 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
V3-HFW
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Belize City – San Pedro
MSN:
208B-0791
YOM:
1999
Flight number:
9N2110
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
13
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Belize City-Sir Barry Bowen Municipal Airport, while in initial climb, the single engine aircraft went out of control and crashed in the sea, coming to rest upside down in shallow water. All 14 occupants were rescued while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Loss of control during initial climb due to windshear after weather conditions suddenly changed as a thunderstorm was approaching the airport.

Crash of a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan off Punta Gorda

Date & Time: Mar 20, 2004 at 1159 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
V3-HGB
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Punta Gorda – Placencia
MSN:
208B-0871
YOM:
2000
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Five minutes after takeoff from Punta Gorda, while cruising at an altitude of 1,500 feet, the pilot informed ATC about engine problem. He elected to return to the airport but as he was unable to maintain the altitude, he attempted to ditch the aircraft 3 km offshore. The pilot was rescued while the aircraft sank and was lost.

Crash of a Britten-Norman BN-2B-21 Islander near Indian Church

Date & Time: Oct 19, 1998
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
BDF-01
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
MSN:
2137
YOM:
1983
Country:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances in a swampy area located southeast of Indian Church. Occupant fate unknown.

Crash of a Cessna 207A Skywagon in Belize City: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jul 23, 1997 at 0724 LT
Operator:
Registration:
V3-HFD
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
San Pedro – Belize City-International – Belize City-Municipal
MSN:
207-0676
YOM:
1981
Flight number:
9N010
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Captain / Total flying hours:
1789
Captain / Total hours on type:
672.00
Aircraft flight hours:
11656
Circumstances:
The single engine aircraft landed at the Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport from San Pedro Airport, Ambergris Caye, with two passengers. The pilot remained in the aircraft on the apron while the two passengers disembarked. After receiving clearance from the Air Traffic Control Tower, V3-HFD, with no passengers, took off at 0720LT for the Belize City Municipal Airport. At 0722LT, the pilot reported by the Haulover Bridge and was instructed by ATC to change to frequency 122.8 MHz, which is the common broadcast frequency where pilots transmit their positions and intentions to each other. No further radio transmissions or distress calls were made to ATC after the pilot reported to Haulover Bridge. While approaching Belize City Municipal Airport at a very low altitude, the aircraft struck power cables and crashed onto a house located in the district Belama Phase 2, bursting into flames. The wreckage was found about 3 km southwest of runway 12 threshold. The pilot was killed and one people on the ground was injured. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire.
Probable cause:
There is no evidence which permits the investigation to determine with certainty the actual cause of the accident. It is considered a reasonable deduction that the probable cause of the accident was that the aircraft became uncontrollable after hitting high voltage transmission lines due to the aircraft being flown at a low altitude.
Final Report:

Crash of a Cessna 402B off San Pedro: 8 killed

Date & Time: Apr 1, 1991 at 1510 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
N402BL
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Belize City - San Pedro
MSN:
402B-0827
YOM:
1975
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Aircraft flight hours:
4202
Circumstances:
On approach to San Pedro Airport runway 06, the aircraft was number 2 for landing. A Cessna 207, V3-HER was ahead and had broadcast its intention to land. A Tropic Air Twin Otter, call sign Tango Alfa, on the ground, requested that N402BL go around to allow Tango Alfa to takeoff because the ramp was full. N402BL acknowledged and was seen making a left turn with wheels down. No further communication was heard from N402BL. The aircraft was seen flying very low with wheels down and flaps down in a southerly direction and as it crossed the shoreline south of the airstrip the aircraft made a sharp left turn and crashed into the sea about 200 yards from the beach at approximately 1500 hours. The aircraft struck nose first then righted itself and sank in water about five feet deep. There was no fire. Boats in the vicinity reached the accident site within a few minutes and reported that all eight occupants were dead inside the aircraft.
Probable cause:
There is no evidence which permits the investigation to determine with certainty the actual cause of the accident. It is considered a reasonable deduction that:
- The pilot was unfit for flight due to fatigue,
- He stalled the aircraft while flying very low down wind with landing gear down,
- The aircraft was much too low to recover from the stall.
Final Report:

Crash of a Britten-Norman BN-2A-26 off Belize

Date & Time: Nov 25, 1989
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
V3-HCT
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
571
YOM:
1977
Country:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed in the sea off Belize in unknown circumstances. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Piper PA-31-310 Navajo in Dangriga: 1 killed

Date & Time: Nov 4, 1984
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
After takeoff from Dangriga Airport, while climbing, the twin engine airplane suffered an engine failure, lost height and crashed in a huge explosion. The pilot, sole on board, was killed. He was en route to Florida on a contraband flight, carrying a load of marijuana.
Probable cause:
Engine failure, possibly because the plane was overloaded.

Crash of a Britten-Norman BN-2A-8 Islander in Hill Bank

Date & Time: Feb 22, 1977
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
VP-HCD
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
374
YOM:
1973
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While on a cargo flight, the pilot encountered technical problems with the engines and elected to make an emergency landing when the airplane crash landed in a wooded area located near Hill Bank. the pilot was rescued while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Lockheed L-1049H Super Constellation in Belize City

Date & Time: May 19, 1976
Registration:
N468C
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Tegucigalpa – Miami
MSN:
4846
YOM:
1958
Country:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While flying 100 km east of Belize City on a cargo flight from Tegucigalpa to Miami, the engine n°1 failed. The crew was cleared to divert to Belize City and few minutes later, the propeller detached from engine n°1 and struck the engine n°2. The propeller on engine n°2 was feathered and on approach, the crew was unable to lower the left main gear that remained partially retracted and could not be locked down. In such conditions, the captain decided to make a go-around and to recycle the gear, without success. Eventually, the crew completed a landing with the left main gear partially retracted. Upon touchdown, the left wing touched the runway surface and the airplane veered off runway to the left and came to rest in a grassy area. While all three crew members were uninjured, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Failure of the engine n°1 and loss of its propeller for unknown reasons.

Crash of a Convair CV-240-23 in Belize City

Date & Time: Aug 3, 1975
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
N77WA
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
174
YOM:
1950
Country:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route, the crew encountered an unexpected situation and was cleared to divert to Belize City for an emergency landing. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.