William Catalina

Beechcraft G18S

The twin engine airplane was completing a flight from Barranquilla to Fort Lauderdale with an intermediate stop on Great Inagua Island. While cruising off the Bahamas coast by night, the pilot declared an emergency after an engine failure and attempted to divert to the nearest airport. Eventually, he was forced to ditch the airplane few miles offshore. Both occupants were rescued while the aircraft sank and was not recovered.