Accident Overview
On June 2, 2000, at approximately 1240 Atlantic standard time, a Cessna 401 (Dominican Republic registration HI-696CT) operated by Air Century crashed shortly after takeoff from La Romana International Airport in La Romana, Dominican Republic. The flight was an instructional flight conducted under visual meteorological conditions. No flight plan was filed. The aircraft was destroyed in the impact.
Sequence of Events
After departing from runway 12, the pilot simulated a failure of the left engine. Shortly thereafter, control of the aircraft was lost, and it crashed approximately 350 meters from the runway. The commercial-rated pilot sustained fatal injuries, while the commercial-rated second pilot received serious injuries.
Aircraft and Engine Examination
Post-accident examination of the aircraft and its engines revealed no mechanical anomalies. The investigation did not identify any pre-existing defects or failures that could have contributed to the loss of control.
Occupants and Injuries
Both occupants were commercial-rated pilots. The first pilot died as a result of the crash, and the second pilot was seriously injured. No other persons were on board.
Additional Details
The flight was originating at the time of the accident. The civil aviation authorities confirmed that the purpose of the flight was instructional. The simulated engine failure was conducted as part of the training exercise.