What happened
On August 5, 1996, a Cessna 402B, operating as Air St. Thomas flight 105, was performing an outbound flight from St. Barthelemy Island to St. Thomas. During the takeoff roll, the pilot encountered a mechanical issue and initiated an aborted takeoff. Despite the attempt to stop, the aircraft N403N overran the runway and eventually came to a stop in approximately three feet of water.
At the time of the incident, weather conditions were characterized by visual meteorological conditions, and an instrument flight plan had been filed for the international passenger service. The aircraft sustained significant damage during the excursion.
Findings
According to statements provided by the pilot, the elevator control jammed while the aircraft was accelerating during the takeoff roll. This mechanical failure necessitated the decision to abort the takeoff, but the resulting loss of control or braking distance led to the aircraft exiting the runway surface.