Miami - Great Inagua
Flight / Schedule
Miami - Great Inagua
Aircraft
Beechcraft 65 Queen AirRegistration
N35PK
MSN
LC-123
Year of Manufacture
1962
Date
August 6, 1982 at 12:00 AM
Type
CRASHFlight Type
Private
Flight Phase
Flight
Crash Site
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Crash Location
Nassau New Providence
Region
Central America • Bahamas
Coordinates
25.0764°, -77.3434°
Crash Cause
Technical failure
Narrative Report
On August 6, 1982 at 12:00 AM, Miami - Great Inagua experienced a crash involving Beechcraft 65 Queen Air, operated by Desarollo New York Panamanian Corporation, with the event recorded near Nassau New Providence.
The flight was categorized as private and the reported phase was flight at a lake, sea, ocean, river crash site.
3 people were known to be on board, 0 fatalities were recorded, 3 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 0.0%.
Crew on board: 1, crew fatalities: 0, passengers on board: 2, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.
The listed crash cause is technical failure. While en route at 9,000 feet msl at night, the right engine reportedly lost power and was feathered. The pilot reported that the left engine had a partial loss of power and the aircraft would not maintain altitude. Communication was maintained with Miami Center until the pilot reported ditching about 40 miles south of Nassau, Bahamas. At 0600, a US Navy vessel rescued the pilot and two passengers. The aircraft was not recovered from the ocean.
Aircraft reference details include registration N35PK, MSN LC-123, year of manufacture 1962.
Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 25.0764°, -77.3434°.
Fatalities
Total
0
Crew
0
Passengers
0
Other
0
Crash Summary
While en route at 9,000 feet msl at night, the right engine reportedly lost power and was feathered. The pilot reported that the left engine had a partial loss of power and the aircraft would not maintain altitude. Communication was maintained with Miami Center until the pilot reported ditching about 40 miles south of Nassau, Bahamas. At 0600, a US Navy vessel rescued the pilot and two passengers. The aircraft was not recovered from the ocean.
Cause: Technical failure
Occupants & Outcome
Crew On Board
1
Passengers On Board
2
Estimated Survivors
3
Fatality Rate
0.0%
Known people on board: 3
Operational Details
Schedule / Flight
Miami - Great Inagua
Flight Type
Private
Flight Phase
Flight
Crash Site
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Region / Country
Central America • Bahamas
Aircraft Details
Similar Plane Crashes
Frederick Edward Guest
De Havilland DH.60 Moth
Shortly after takeoff from the Freeport harbor, the aircraft stalled and crashed in the sea. Both occupants were injured.
United States Navy - USN
Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina
The seaplane registered 7247 (VP-92) crashed while landing off Stocking Island. The aircraft sunk and was lost. The fate of the crew remains unknown. Pilot R. J. Finnie.
Royal Air Force - RAF
North American B-25 Mitchell
The crew departed Nassau on a local night training cession. While flying at low height, the airplane crashed onto a house located in Delaport, some 7 km northeast of the airfield. All four crew members escaped uninjured while three people in the house were killed.
United States Army Air Forces - USAAF
Curtiss C-46 Commando
Crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off the Great Inagua Island. Crew fate remains unknown.
Royal Air Force - RAF
North American B-25 Mitchell
The airplane departed Nassau Airport on an anti-submarine exercise with six crew members on board. The crew reported his position over Great Sale Cay and requested permission for descent through exercise. It is believed that the pilot-in-command lost control of the airplane that crashed into the sea some 8 km southwest off Clifton Bluff. No trace of the wreckage was found and all six crew members, one RAAF and five RCAF were considered as deceased. The following test was found from RAF record books: B-25 FR-383 DX airborne for Anti-Submarine Patrol Number 3, sent signal reporting position over Great Sale Cay, requested permission for descent through cloud exercise. Then aircraft failed to reply to signal to commence, exercise, was not heard again, failed to return to base, so overdue, action was taken. Four aircraft dispatched to search waters adjacent to island. B-25 FV-946 FF is airborne to search for missing aircraft 3 nm southwest of Main Field, when smoke is sighted through the trees, crew caught sight of wrecked plane in the area, circled aircraft found to be a Baltimore aircraft, signal sent to base conveying this information. Aircraft continued search, oil patch was sighted, patch was 50 yards wide and seemed to extend in an up wind direction, aircraft returned to base and the Captain gave fuller details to the Controller on the information passed. The Marine 216 Craft at Lyford Cay was ordered to put to sea to investigate the oil patches, aircraft set course for the position of the oil patch, aircraft passed the coast, the ASR launch from Lyford Cay was seen heading towards the oil patch, aircraft was directly over the oil patch, and a smoke float was dropped, aircraft flew to the launch and headed it towards the patch, and then dived to 100 feet over the patch, continued to search the oil patch, and the launch was observed to have reduced speed and to be proceeding to the southeast up the patch. Instructions were received to continue the search of the area, and a sailing vessel was observed 4 nm to the north of the patch, heading towards Nassau. Aircraft landed back with nothing further to report. B-25 FR-393 DF is airborne to search south of the island to a distance of 15 nm off shore for oil patch, aircraft circled to investigate, message was received from base, message was sent to base that the ASR launch was standing by and that the aircraft was over the oil patch, oil patch extended 3 miles in length in a west-to-east direction, patch appeared to extend up wind from narrow end, no sign of a dinghy, survivors or wreckage. Aircraft remained over patch for 45 minutes, a constant series of orange flashes were seen emerging from two points near the narrow point of the oil patch, flashes appeared to be on the surface and appeared frequently, but at irregular intervals, message was sent to base that the aircraft was returning. The ASR boat was still standing by. Aircraft landed back with nothing further to report whilst the aircraft was over oil patch, it was joined by two other aircraft. B-25 FV-949 FD is airborne to search for the missing aircraft on receipt of a signal from base to search in the area of the oil patch, the aircraft proceeded to the reported position and observed two other aircraft in the vicinity. The ASR launch was seen to be searching the oil patch series of yellow flashes on the surface of water appearing at the easterly end of the oil patch; these are presumed to be smoke floats, and the aircraft returned to base.
United States Army Air Forces - USAAF
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
The crew was on his way from Morrison AFB (West Palm Beach, Florida) to Borinquen, Porto Rico, as the aircraft should be delivered in Algiers, Algeria. En route, while cruising off The Bahamas Islands, pilot was forced to ditch the aircraft for unknown reason. A crew member was killed while all four others were rescued.
