Fort Lauderdale - Charlotte Amalie

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.

Flight / Schedule

Fort Lauderdale - Charlotte Amalie

Aircraft

Learjet 24

Registration

N81MC

MSN

24-344

Year of Manufacture

1977

Date

November 10, 1984 at 07:06 PM

Type

CRASH

Flight Type

Executive/Corporate/Business

Flight Phase

Landing (descent or approach)

Crash Site

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Crash Location

Charlotte Amalie-Cyril E. King (ex Harry S. Truman) All US Virgin Islands

Region

Central America • US Virgin Islands

Crash Cause

Human factor

Narrative Report

On November 10, 1984 at 07:06 PM, Fort Lauderdale - Charlotte Amalie experienced a crash involving Learjet 24, operated by Macton Corporation, with the event recorded near Charlotte Amalie-Cyril E. King (ex Harry S. Truman) All US Virgin Islands.

The flight was categorized as executive/corporate/business and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

4 people were known to be on board, 2 fatalities were recorded, 2 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 50.0%.

Crew on board: 2, crew fatalities: 1, passengers on board: 2, passenger fatalities: 1, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. 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.

Aircraft reference details include registration N81MC, MSN 24-344, year of manufacture 1977.

Fatalities

Total

2

Crew

1

Passengers

1

Other

0

Crash Summary

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.

Cause: Human factor

Occupants & Outcome

Crew On Board

2

Passengers On Board

2

Estimated Survivors

2

Fatality Rate

50.0%

Known people on board: 4

Operational Details

Schedule / Flight

Fort Lauderdale - Charlotte Amalie

Flight Type

Executive/Corporate/Business

Flight Phase

Landing (descent or approach)

Crash Site

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Region / Country

Central America • US Virgin Islands

Aircraft Details

Aircraft

Learjet 24

Registration

N81MC

MSN

24-344

Year of Manufacture

1977

Similar Plane Crashes

March 10, 1951 at 12:00 AM1 Fatalities

United States Air Force - USAF

North American B-25 Mitchell

Crashed on takeoff from Charlotte Amalie-Harry S. Truman Airport for unknown reason. Four crew members were injured, three were unhurt and the captain was killed.

July 15, 1965 at 05:05 PM8 Fatalities

Virgin Islands Airways - VIA

De Havilland DH.104 Dove

At liftoff at Charlotte Amalie Airport, the airplane encountered difficulties to gain height, stalled and crashed into the sea. The pilot and seven passengers were killed while four passengers were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

September 15, 1965 at 07:26 PM3 Fatalities

West Indies Airways

Beechcraft C18S

Shortly after takeoff from Charlotte Amalie-Harry S. Truman Airport, while climbing, the twin engine aircraft disappeared and crashed in unknown circumstances. SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the three occupants was found. It is believed the airplane may have crashed into the sea.

December 12, 1967 at 11:40 AM2 Fatalities

Virgin Islands Airways - VIA

Rockwell Aero Commander 560

The crew was completing a local training flight at Christiansted-Alexander Hamilton Airport. While approaching from the north, the airplane stalled and crashed in Kinsghill, about 2 miles north of the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed and both pilots were killed.

December 6, 1968 at 06:20 PM7 Fatalities

Conquest Airways

Beechcraft E18

After takeoff from Charlotte Amalie-Harry S. Truman Airport, the twin engine airplane encountered difficulties to gain height. After passing over the end of the runway, the airplane struck a house and crashed. The pilot, two passengers as well as four people on the ground were killed. Eight passengers were seriously injured.

May 2, 1970 at 03:49 PM23 Fatalities

ALM Antillean Airlines - Antillaanse Luchtvaart Maatschappij

Douglas DC-9

ALM flight 980, from New York-JFK International Airport to Juliana Airport, St.Maarten, was being operated under terms of a lease agreement, utilizing an ONA aircraft and flight crew, and an ALM cabin crew. ALM 980 established radio contact with Juliana Tower and received clearance for an Automatic Direction Finding (ADF) approach to runway 09. The weather was reported as scattered clouds at 800 feet, estimated ceiling 1,000 feet broken, 5,000 feet overcast, and visibility 2 to 3 miles. The crew sighted the runway too late to land successfully on this approach, and attempted two left turn, visual circling approaches. The first circling approach was abandoned because of poor alignment with the runway again and on the second one the captain was unable to maintain the proper descent profile without reducing power and increasing the sink rate beyond acceptable limits. The captain executed a missed approach, made a low altitude return to the St. Maarten Radio Beacon, and was given clearance to St. Thomas at an assigned altitude of 4,000 feet. The fuel gauges were reported to have been acting erratically during the climb, but momentarily stabilized at 850 pounds of fuel remaining. A higher altitude was requested and a course adjustment was made for St. Croix, which was closer. Although the captain doubted the accuracy of the fuel gauge reading, he decided to descend in order to establish visual contact with the water. He also advised the purser that they were low on fuel, and to prepare the cabin for ditching. The purser made this announcement, and no other warning was given to the passengers prior to impact. The ditching site was confirmed on radar with the assistance of a PanAm flight that diverted for that purpose. Other fixed-wing aircraft orbited the area until the US Coast Guard, Navy, and Marine Corps helicopters began picking up survivors. Weather in the area during the rescue operation was estimated to be 400 to 500 feet overcast and visibility as low as three-eighths of a mile in rain. The aircraft sank in water more than 5,000 feet deep, and was not recovered.