US Virgin Islands

Before departing on the flight that preceded the accident flight, the flight crew performed an engine-run, including a magneto check, during which they noted backfiring from the left engine. The captain first attributed the issue to water contamination of the fuel but then attributed it to fouled spark plugs. An additional engine run resulted in no further backfiring, and the captain decided to depart on the cargo flight; no maintenance was requested or performed on the left engine before departure. When the airplane was near the destination airport, the left engine backfired once again. The flight continued to the destination airport where the airplane landed uneventfully and the cargo was off loaded; again, no maintenance was performed or requested for the left engine. For the accident flight, the first officer was the pilot flying and the captain was the pilot monitoring. During the takeoff, the local controller noted black smoke trailing the left engine and advised the flight crew; however, the captain attributed the smoke to normal operation for the airplane type and decided to continue the flight. Meanwhile, air traffic control communications for the flight were transferred to San Juan Combined En Route Approach Control (San Juan CERAP). The local controller who noted the black smoke continued to watch the airplane’s departure. When the airplane was about 1 mile west of the runway, the controller observed bright orange then red flames from behind the left engine and immediately informed the San Juan CERAP controller, who in turn immediately notified the flight crew. The captain assumed control of the airplane and directed the first officer to go to the cabin to visually inspect the left engine. The first officer returned to the cockpit and informed the captain that he observed fire, and they immediately executed the fire checklist and shut down the left engine. However, the fire continued because it was located in an area where fire suppression bottles could not reach. The pilots returned to the airport; fire rescue vehicles were pre-positioned along various portions of the runway. The airplane touched down on the runway centerline. Because the fire had damaged the left brake line, braking was asymmetrical, and the airplane departed the right side of the runway and came to rest adjacent to the airport perimeter fence.

The captain stated that the accident flight was a return flight to San Juan, Puerto Rico, after delivering U.S. Mail. The airplane was empty of cargo at the time of the accident. The first officer was flying the airplane. The takeoff roll and rotation at 84 knots was uneventful until about 100 feet above the ground when the gear was called out to be retracted. At that time, the left engine's rpm dropped from 2,700 to 1,000. He communicated to the first officer that he would be assuming control of the airplane. He then proceeded with verifying that the left engine had failed. Once confirmed, he proceeded with the failed engine check list and feathering the propeller. They advised air traffic control (ATC) of the situation and informed them that they were returning to land. The airplane would not maintain altitude and the airspeed dropped to about 75 knots. The captain stated that he knew the airplane would not make it back to the airport. Instructions were given to the two passengers to don their life vests and prepared for a ditching. The captain elected to perform a controlled flight into the water. All onboard managed to exit the airplane through the cockpit overhead escape hatch onto the life raft as the airplane remained afloat. About ten minutes later the airplane sank nose first straight down. The airplane came to rest at the bottom of the ocean, in about 100 feet of water. The airplane was not recovered. Underwater photos provided by the operator showed the nose and cockpit area caved in, the left engine's propeller was in the feathered position, and the right engine's propeller was in a low pitch position.

The airplane was making a public use flight between two islands for the purpose of transporting residents of a correctional facility to court hearings. During descent to the destination airport, at an altitude of approximately 1,400 feet, both engines started surging. The pilot's attempts to restore normal engine power were unsuccessful, and he ditched the airplane in ocean water with both engines still surging. The airplane stayed afloat as he and the passengers exited, and then it sank. The airplane was not recovered from the ocean, precluding its examination and determination of the reason for the dual loss of engine power.

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.

The pilots lost aileron control shortly after takeoff while in a left turn. The left turning tendencies of the aircraft could not be corrected and the aircraft crash landed in the Caribbean Sea. Post crash inspection of the aircraft revealed the left aileron control cable was trapped within a bundle of electrical wires and cables. This occurred when an electrical cable from a reverse current relay in the right wing to the main junction box in the left cabin area at the center wing was changed and secured. The aileron cable chafed through the protective cover of the large electrical cable. When contact was made with the metal electrical cable the aileron cable arched at several points and separated at two different points causing a loss of aileron control. A passenger was killed while 14 other occupants were rescued.

While executing a night visual approach to runway 09 in visual meteorological conditions the aircraft was allowed to descend; crashing into water 2 miles short of the runway. The pilot was not familiar with the airport and failed to make use of a full instrument landing system and visual approach slope indicating system which were operational for runway 09 at the time of the accident. The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions with the aircraft which attributed to the accident. The aircraft was equipped with a radar altimeter system which also was not used by the pilot. The pilot performed two missed approaches because the airport was not in sight. The accident occurred during the 3rd attempt. Neither the pilot-in-command nor the copilot were properly certificated for the flight.

The four engine airplane was completing a cargo flight from Christiansted to Charlotte Amalie, carrying two passengers and three crew members. While on a night visual approach to runway 09 at Charlotte Amalie-Harry S. Truman Airport, the made a 360° turn to avoid traffic when the airplane lost altitude and crashed into the sea about two miles short of runway threshold. Both passengers were injured while all three crew members were killed.

On final approach to Christiansted-Alexander Hamilton Airport, the twin engine airplane rolled to the left and descended until it crashed, bursting into flames. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all four occupants were killed.

After takeoff from Christiansted-Henry E. Rohlsen Airport, while climbing on a cargo flight to Miami, the crew declared an emergency after the engine n°3 caught fire. The crew was cleared to return for an emergency landing, was able to extinguish the fire and to feather the propeller. Then the crew encountered controllability problems and the captain decided to ditch the aircraft few km offshore. Two crew members were rescued while the copilot drowned. The aircraft sank about 45 minutes later.

After takeoff from Christiansted-Alexander Hamilton Airport, while in initial climb, the pilot reported engine problems and elected to return. He completed a turn when the airplane struck trees and crashed into the sea few dozen yards offshore. All 10 occupants were evacuated, among them three were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed.