Accident Overview
On February 8, 2019, at 1216 eastern standard time, a General Dynamics Convair 340 (C-131B), registration N145GT, was destroyed during a ditching in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 32 miles east of Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport (OPF), Miami, Florida. The captain sustained fatal injuries, and the first officer sustained serious injuries. The airplane was operated by Conquest Air, Inc. as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 cargo flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan was filed. The flight had departed Lynden Pindling International Airport (MYNN), Nassau, Bahamas, at 1113, and was returning to OPF.
Sequence of Events
According to the first officer, during the initial flight of the day from OPF to MYNN, the preflight inspection, engine start, taxi, and engine run-up were normal, with about 900 gallons of fuel on board. That flight was uneventful until the first officer, who was the pilot monitoring, attempted to adjust the left engine propeller control for cruise speed and found no movement on the gauge; the power was stuck at 2,400 rpm. He tried to reset the propeller control circuit breaker but could not. The captain stabilized power on both engines, and the flight continued to MYNN without further issue.
After landing, the captain asked the first officer to text maintenance control, but the message did not transmit. The captain told the first officer not to worry and indicated that if they could not reset the propeller control on the ground during engine run-up, they would shut down and call maintenance.
Before the accident flight, the engines started normally and both propellers were cycled. The crew was able to reset the left propeller control, so they departed for OPF with the first officer as pilot flying. During initial climb, the left engine propeller control again failed at about 4,000 ft, with power stuck at 2,400 rpm. The captain attempted to adjust it and inadvertently increased power to 2,700 rpm. He then took control, stabilized power, leveled at 4,500 ft, canceled the IFR flight plan, and proceeded visually to OPF. The first officer suggested returning to MYNN, but the captain wanted to continue to OPF, which was about 160 nautical miles west-northwest of MYNN. The first officer did not disagree due to the captain's extensive experience.
The flight was normal until descent (the first officer did not recall the altitude) to 1,500 ft, when the right engine began to surge and lose power. The captain turned on both boost pumps and tried to stabilize the right engine with mixture and throttle, but the engine began to backfire and shake violently, with fluctuations in BMEP, fuel pressure, fuel flow, rpm, and manifold pressure. The crew performed the engine failure emergency checklist, feathering the right engine and moving its mixture to cutoff. Shortly after, the left engine also began to surge and shake violently with similar indications. The captain attempted to control the left engine while the first officer declared an emergency.
The first officer reported that as the captain maneuvered for ditching, the airplane impacted the water violently. During impact, the first officer struck his head on the instrument panel. He unbuckled his harness and saw the captain slumped over and unresponsive. Unable to lift the captain, the first officer realized he needed to exit as water in the cockpit reached chest high. He kicked open the cockpit door and saw the tail had separated from the empennage. He grabbed the life raft and exited through the tail. He was rescued by a US Coast Guard helicopter.
Personnel and Aircraft Information
The captain held an airline transport pilot certificate with type ratings for Boeing 727, 737, and Convair 240/340/440, and LR-JET. He had 23,000 total flight hours, with 725 in the accident make and model. He held an FAA first-class medical dated January 22, 2019. The first officer held a commercial pilot certificate with type ratings for Convair 240/340/440 (SIC privileges only). He had 650 total hours, with 305 in the accident airplane. He held an FAA first-class medical dated August 25, 2018.
The airplane was equipped with two Pratt & Whitney R-2800CB3 radial engines and two Hamilton Sunstrand 43E60-377 propellers, maintained under an approved inspection program. The last inspection was the day before the accident. At that time, the left engine had 1,943 hours, the right engine 417 hours, and the airframe 12,701 hours.
Wreckage and Impact
The left wing washed ashore. The rest of the airplane was not recovered from the ocean, so the engines could not be examined to determine the cause of the failures.