MD Air Services

Partenavia P.68

The aircraft crashed in the ocean near Duncan Town, Bahamas. The weather according to witnesses was VMC. The flight had been airborne enroute from Nassau for about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Witnesses on a nearby boat said the aircraft was flying in a slight left bank when the left wing separated from the aircraft. The aircraft rolled to the left and impacted the water. The wreckage sank where the water was about 50 feet deep. The left outboard wing panel was recovered and examined at the NTSN laboratory. All fractures were found to be from overstress. No preexisting cracks were found and no evidence of fatigue or failure from corrosion. The wing tip had crushing damage and a blue paint transfer as if from a collision. The partly blue vertical stab was damaged from the separated wing sect striking it. The weather reported en route was: broken to overcast with rain showers and isolated thunderstorms. Examination of the later recovered inboard left wing section showed separation of the outboard wing section resulted from overstress. All six occupants were killed.