Cessna 172F ditching in the Antigua Channel (N5364R)

Flight Details and Accident Sequence On September 28, 2017, a Cessna 172F with registration N5364R departed V.C. Bird/St John's in Antigua and Barbuda at approximately 13:10 local time, bound for Pointe-à-Pitre Le Raizet in Guadeloupe. The aircraft was carrying a pilot and one passenger. While cruising at 1,500 feet over the Antigua Channel, the pilot observed a decrease in engine power. Despite performing the appropriate procedures, the engine failed to restore power. At 13:38:32, at an altitude of 869 feet, the pilot declared an emergency to the Raizet approach controller, stating that the aircraft was descending toward 500 feet and would be forced to ditch. The pilot prepared for the water landing by opening the doors. Upon impact, the aircraft capsized. The pilot and passenger evacuated the sinking aircraft but were unable to take their life jackets. A life jacket surfaced minutes later, which they used to stay afloat until they were rescued by helicopter approximately three and a half hours later and transferred to a U.S. military vessel.