Date & Time:
Apr 11, 1936 at 0510 LT
Type of aircraft:
Sikorsky S-42
Operator:
Registration:
NC824M
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Miami – Port of Spain – Natal – Rio de Janeiro – Buenos Aires
MSN:
4202
YOM:
1935
Country:
Trinidad and Tobago
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
1
Pax on board:
18
Pax fatalities:
2
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
After takeoff from the harbor of Port of Spain, while climbing at night, the captain saw a boat and initiated a sharp turn to avoid the collision. Nevertheless, the right pontoon impacted the boat and the aircraft crashed into the bay. A crew member and two passengers drowned while all 22 other occupants were rescued. The aircraft named 'Puerto Rican Clipper' was damaged beyond repair. At the time of the accident, the visibility was limited because of the night.
