Accident Overview
An airplane crashed while conducting a visual approach to runway 09 left at Miami International Airport, Miami, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and an IFR flight plan had been filed. The aircraft was destroyed, and the airline transport pilot sustained serious injuries. The flight had originated from Marsh Harbor, Bahamas, approximately 1 hour and 14 minutes before the accident.
Witness Observations
Witnesses reported observing the airplane descending to the right of the final approach path for runway 09 left. The landing gear was down, and an engine was heard sputtering. The wings were seen rocking back and forth. Subsequently, the airplane rolled 90 degrees to the right, the nose pitched up, and the aircraft rolled inverted. The nose then pitched down, and the airplane collided with a parking lot. It slid between a front-end loader and a dump truck before coming to a complete stop.
Investigation Findings
Transcripts of recorded transmissions between Miami Air Traffic Control Tower (ATCT) and the aircraft (N7884J), along with review of Miami ATCT continuous data recording radar, revealed no other airplanes were in the vicinity of N7884J at the time of the accident.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause of the accident was the pilot-in-command's failure to maintain airspeed (VMC) after the loss of power of one engine while on final approach, which resulted in an in-flight loss of control and subsequent in-flight collision with terrain. A contributing factor was a total loss of engine power of the right engine due to fuel exhaustion.