What happened
A charter flight traveling from Oranjestad to Punto Fijo ended in a fatal accident during its approach to Josefa Camejo Airport. The aircraft, a twin-engine plane, was carrying one pilot and seven passengers at the time of the incident.
During the descent toward the destination, the pilot notified air traffic control that the left engine had failed. Shortly after this communication, the left engine experienced a fire and subsequently separated from the airframe. The force of the engine detaching caused significant structural damage, resulting in the loss of a portion of the left wing. Following the loss of control, the aircraft impacted the ocean approximately 29.5 km north of the airport.
All eight people on board were killed in the crash.
Findings
Investigations determined that the engine failure was triggered by a cracked exhaust manifold on the left engine.