What happened
On the day of the accident, a BN-2 Islander was prepared for a cargo flight from Anguilla Wallblake International Airport (AXA) to St Maarten (SXM). While the aircraft was primarily configured for cargo, an additional seat had been installed to accommodate a family member of the pilot. During the pre-flight process, the pilot performed a partial inspection and encountered an issue where the nose landing gear chocks were still in place; this required a brief engine shutdown and restart to clear the obstructions.
The aircraft departed from runway 10 at 14:15 hrs. Shortly after reaching an altitude between 100 ft and 150 ft, the pilot attempted a left turn, at which point the ailerons jammed. Although other flight controls remained functional, the aircraft could not be leveled and continued a descending left turn over a nearby settlement. The trajectory of the aircraft brought it so close to the Air Traffic Control tower that the controller was forced to evacuate the building.
In an attempt to recover, the pilot initiated a go-around using full power. However, the aircraft continued to lose altitude and speed while maintaining the left bank. As the plane descended toward the northern edge of the runway, the left wing made contact with the perimeter fence. The impact caused the aircraft to spin vertically before sliding approximately 80 ft on its right side.