Twin-Engine Charter Aircraft Crashes Into Sea Near Punto Fijo (P4-AVB)

Incident Overview A twin-engine aircraft was operating a charter flight from Oranjestad to Punto Fijo when it crashed into the sea. The aircraft carried seven passengers and one pilot, for a total of eight occupants. All eight people on board were killed in the accident. ## Sequence of Events While descending to Punto Fijo-Josefa Camejo Airport, the pilot notified air traffic control of a failure of the left engine. Shortly afterward, the left engine caught fire and detached from the aircraft. The detachment caused part of the left wing to be torn off. The aircraft then became out of control and crashed into the sea approximately 29.5 km north of Punto Fijo Airport. ## Probable Cause The official investigation determined that the probable cause was the failure of the left engine as a result of a cracked exhaust manifold.