NASSAU, BAHAMAS — An aircraft that crashed in shallow waters off the runway of South Bimini International Airport, killing one man and injuring another, climbed to an altitude of around 40 feet and came down a few seconds later with a thud, according to an eyewitness account contained in the preliminary report prepared by the Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA).
The aircraft, a Piper Navajo PA-31 with registration N827RD, departed for Opa Locka, Florida around 9.42pm on April 16.
“The aircraft was airborne momentarily and may have reached an altitude between 50 and 100 feet,” read the report.
“Due to the darkness at the time of departure, security camera coverage from the airport terminal building captured the lights of the aircraft and it could be seen from its takeoff roll on the surface, to the point where it got airborne, started to climb and shortly thereafter, where it disappeared from camera view in the waters beyond the runway environment.
“Eyewitness to the crash stated ‘I observed N827RD departing runway 10 as they climbed to some 30 [feet] to 40 feet and came down a few seconds later; I heard a thud at a distance’.
“Other eyewitnesses to the crash confirmed the same information, around the same time and the events that followed.”
The pilot sustained serious injuries and had to be hospitalized.
The pilot’s son, who occupied the right seat of the aircraft, died as a result of his injuries during the crash.
According to the report, the pilot noted that he and his son took some friends over to the island and landed at around 8.45 pm.
He advised investigators that after performing all pre-takeoff checks satisfactorily, he departed and became airborne at around 9.40 pm; selected gear up and proceeded to ascend to 1,200 feet.
That was the last thing he recalled.
“…His next memory was ‘being in the water with the crew door blown open and two Bahamian men shouted at me from approximately 300 yards away on land, sir, are you okay, do you need help?
A local boat operator that was called after the crash assisted in rescuing the pilot and removing his son’s body from the aircraft.
An autopsy was performed on April 19 to determine cause of death.
The cause was not included in the report nor was it clear if it had been completed.
The pilot was US certified as a commercial pilot with rating for airplane land, single and multi-engine as well as instrument airplane rating.
His medical certificate was valid.
His son also held a valid US-certified private pilot — single-engine land — airplane rating.
However, investigators said it was unknown what role, if any, the second pilot played during the takeoff to the crash sequence.
The aircraft was on an approved instrument flight plan to depart South Bimini at the time it did.
The weather conditions at the time of the accident was instrument meteorological conditions as it was night.
