History of the Flight
The pilot, accompanied by four passengers, planned a series of four flights from Saint François aerodrome (Guadeloupe) with stops at La Désirade, Les Saintes, and Marie-Galante. The first two flights lasted 7 and 21 minutes, respectively. At 09:59 local time, the aircraft took off from runway 09 at Les Saintes aerodrome. ADS-B and radar data indicate that it climbed to an altitude of 680 ft with a ground speed of approximately 70 kt. About one minute after take-off, the climb ceased, and the aircraft began a right turn in descent, with vertical speed increasing rapidly. The last valid ADS-B detection occurred at 10:01:06, approximately 2 NM off the coast of Les Saintes.
Pilot Information
The 59-year-old pilot held a European Commercial Pilot Licence (CPL(A)) and a US Private Pilot Licence (PPL(A)), along with various ratings including Single-Engine Piston (SEP), Multi-Engine Piston (MEP), Instrument Rating (IR-PBN), and Flight Instructor (FI(A)). He had logged approximately 4,245 flight hours, with 3,003 hours as pilot-in-command. In the previous 12 months, he had flown 265 hours, at least 37 of which on PA32 aircraft. Witnesses reported that he flew regularly on multiple aircraft types.
Aircraft Information
The Piper PA32-260, registered N15902, is a six-seat, single-engine, low-wing aeroplane with fixed tricycle landing gear, powered by a Lycoming O-540-E4B5 engine rated at 260 hp. It was equipped with four wing tanks: two auxiliary tanks (17 US gal each) and two main tanks (25 US gal each), for a total capacity of 84 US gal. A five-position rotary fuel selector allows selection of left auxiliary, left main, right main, or right auxiliary tanks, or fuel shut-off. Before departure, the aircraft's main tanks were filled to capacity, with auxiliary tanks estimated to contain about 4 US gal each. The aircraft's weight and balance were within limits for the flights.
Wreckage and Site
The accident site was in the sea east of the aerodrome. The wreckage was located on 2 December at a depth of 45 m on a sandy seabed and recovered on 3 February 2024. Examination revealed that the right wing was detached from the fuselage and the left wing was detached from its spar. The engine sustained substantial damage from immersion, but no visible ruptures or faults were found on casings, cylinders, valves, magnetos, or electrical components. Tomographic analysis of the fuel selector indicated that at impact, the right auxiliary tank (RIGHT TIP) was selected, and it is unlikely the selector moved during impact.
Meteorological Conditions
Atmospheric conditions were slightly anticyclonic with moderate trade winds. No hazardous phenomena were forecast. Wind at 10 m was east to north-easterly at 10–15 kt. The METAR for Pointe-à-Pitre airport (45 km north) reported slightly cloudy conditions, ceiling at 3,100 ft, east wind 13 kt, temperature 29°C, dew point 22°C, and QNH 1017 hPa.
Additional Findings
A video recorded by a passenger showed that after take-off, the flaps were retracted from the second to the first detent. The climb was at constant low speed, followed by a slight descent lasting 4 seconds, then a gradual increase in attitude and a right turn leading to loss of control. These observations are consistent with a reduction in engine power during climb, followed by an attempted turn and loss of control. Post-mortem toxicological analyses found cocaine in the pilot and two passengers, but it could not be determined whether this resulted from consumption or contamination, nor its impact on pilot performance.