What happened
On 27 July 2017, a Cessna 402C, registration N618CA, was preparing for departure from Runway 07 at Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport in the British Virgin Islands. The flight was operating as commercial air transport carrying seven passengers and one crew member.
The environmental conditions at the time were characterized by high humidity and a temperature of 31°C. Due to the specific constraints of the runway length and the prevailing weather, the pilot decided to execute a short field takeoff procedure to reduce the necessary ground roll.
As the aircraft reached a speed of approximately 86 KIAS, the pilot identified significant bird activity ahead. To avoid a potential collision, the pilot initiated an aborted takeoff. The aircraft decelerated and eventually came to a halt in the grass, approximately 10 feet beyond the end of the paved runway surface. There were no injuries to the passengers or crew, and no damage to the aircraft was reported.
The investigation
The investigation was based on the aircraft accident report form provided by the pilot. The inquiry focused on the decision-making process regarding the takeoff technique and the environmental factors present during the departure sequence.