Accident Overview
On May 16, 2005, at approximately 1230 EST (1845Z), a Britten Norman Islander aircraft, registration C6-ASA, crashed about 3 nautical miles northeast of Moss Town International Airport in Exuma, Bahamas. The aircraft was operated by Flamingo Air Limited, a Bahamian Air Operator Certificate holder that conducted commuter, unscheduled/on-demand commercial air transport under the Bahamas Aviation Safety Regulations (BASR 2001).
Flight History
The accident flight originated from Freeport, Grand Bahama, with an intermediate stop in South Bimini, and was destined for Moss Town. Visual Flight Rules conditions existed at the time. The aircraft had completed two earlier flights: from MYAM to MYGF on May 15, 2005 (45 minutes), and from MYGF to MYBS on May 16, 2005 (30 minutes). No fuel was uplifted before the accident flight (MYBS to MYEF).
Pilot Report
The pilot reported that about 35 minutes south of Nassau International Airport, he noticed very low groundspeed. Despite anticipating 1 hour 30 minutes of fuel remaining, he continued to Moss Town. Approximately 10 miles from the airport, the right engine quit, followed by the left engine two minutes later. The pilot then selected a suitable landing area three miles from the airport. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact with trees. The one pilot and two passengers sustained no serious injuries.
Fuel Management
On May 15, 2005, the pilot uplifted 130 gallons of fuel, the maximum capacity for the Britten Norman Islander. During post-accident interviews, the pilot stated he had noticed nothing unusual about the aircraft before the accident. He later surmised that he had run out of fuel. There were no open MEL items or uncorrected mechanical irregularities in the Technical and Journey Log.
Official Findings
The Flight Standards Inspectorate determined the probable cause as fuel exhaustion. The pilot could not accurately calculate the fuel required for the intended journey. Additionally, he used poor judgment by continuing toward Moss Town International Airport rather than returning to Nassau International Airport when the low groundspeed was first observed.