What happened
On August 28, 1995, a Beech E18S, registration N171LG, was conducting a non-scheduled international cargo flight from Orlando, Florida, to Freeport, Bahamas. The flight, operated by Avmac Air, Inc., departed Orlando at approximately 1229 EDT. The aircraft was flying under instrument flight rules due to prevailing instrument meteorological conditions.
At 1328, the pilot contacted the Miami Flight Service Station to request weather updates for Freeport, stating the aircraft was positioned 46 miles northwest of the destination. Less than two minutes later, the pilot declared an emergency, reporting that a fire had broken out on board. Following this transmission, all communication with the aircraft ceased.
Search and rescue operations were launched immediately. By 1600, debris was discovered floating on the Atlantic Ocean approximately 40 miles northwest of Freeport. Recovered items included an oil slick, the left main landing gear from N171LG, and various personal effects and cabin contents. The aircraft was destroyed, and the single fatality is presumed to be the pilot, who has not been located. The primary wreckage of the aircraft was never found.
Findings
While the pilot reported an onboard fire during the emergency declaration, an examination of the recovered wreckage and debris showed no evidence of fire damage.