What happened
A flight originating from San Pedro Airport on Ambergris Caye arrived at the Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport carrying two passengers. After the passengers exited the aircraft, the pilot remained in the cockpit and received takeoff clearance from Air Traffic Control. At 0720LT, the V3-HFD, a single-engine aircraft, departed for Belize City Municipal Airport without any passengers on board.
By 0722LT, the pilot communicated his position near the Haulker Bridge and was directed by controllers to switch to the common broadcast frequency. Following this transmission, no further contact was established with Air Traffic Control. While performing a low-altitude approach toward Belize City Municipal Airport, the aircraft collided with power cables. The impact caused the plane to crash into a house in the Belama Phase 2 district, which subsequently ignited. The wreckage was located approximately 3 km southwest of the threshold for runway 12.
The accident resulted in one fatality (the pilot) and one injury to an individual on the ground. The impact and subsequent fire completely destroyed the aircraft.
Findings
Investigators could not reach a definitive conclusion regarding the exact cause of the accident. However, it is suspected that the aircraft became uncontrollable after striking high-voltage transmission lines because the pilot was operating at a very low altitude.