What happened
On March 30, 2026, a Blessings Aviation charter flight was conducting a non-scheduled domestic operation from Stella Maris Airport on Long Island to Exuma International Airport. The aircraft, a Piper PA23-250 registered as C6-BRIT, was carrying one pilot and three passengers under visual flight rules.
Upon arrival at Exuma, the pilot executed a landing on runway 12. According to the pilot, all necessary landing checklists were performed, and the three green landing gear indicators were confirmed prior to touchdown. While the main landing gear made contact with the runway without incident, the nose landing gear began to vibrate during the landing roll. This vibration was followed by a nose landing gear collapse, causing the nose section of the aircraft to strike the runway surface. The aircraft subsequently slid and came to a stop northeast of the runway.
The investigation
The preliminary investigation focused on the sequence of events during the landing roll and the mechanical state of the landing gear. Investigators established that the aircraft's main gear remained intact during initial contact, but the structural failure of the nose gear occurred shortly after touchdown. The investigation also reviewed the aircraft's configuration and the pilot's adherence to standard operating procedures prior to the event.