Accident Details
On May 5, 2012, at 0640 UTC, a Piper PA42 Cheyenne III, French registration F-GXES, was destroyed when it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean approximately four minutes after takeoff. The accident occurred about three miles from Grand Case, St. Maarten. The pilot and three passengers on board sustained fatal injuries.
Flight and Weather Conditions
The flight was a foreign, non-scheduled cross-country operation en route to Fort de France, Martinique. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident.
Witness Observations
Witnesses reported seeing the airplane explode and then crash into the sea.
Investigation
This investigation is under the jurisdiction of the government of France. Information has been released by or obtained from the French Bureau d'Enquetes et d'Analyses (BEA). For further details, the BEA can be contacted at:
Bureau d’Enquetes et d’Analyses Zone Sud – Batiment 153 200 rue de Paris Aeroport du Bourget 93352 Le Bourget Cedex France Telephone: +33 1 49 92 72 00 Facsimile: +33 1 49 92 72 03 E-mail: [email protected]
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was a Piper PA42 Cheyenne III with French registration F-GXES.