What happened
At approximately 1500 hours, an aircraft with registration N402BL was positioned second in the landing sequence for runway 06 at San Pedro Airport. A Cessna 207, registered V3-HER, was the lead aircraft and had already communicated its intent to land. While on approach, the crew of a Tropic Air Twin Otter on the ground requested that the inbound aircraft perform a go-around to facilitate their takeoff, citing a crowded ramp area. The pilot of N402BL acknowledged this request and began a left turn with the landing gear extended.
Following this maneuver, the aircraft was observed flying at a very low altitude with flaps and gear deployed, traveling in a southerly direction. As the plane crossed the shoreline south of the airfield, it executed a sudden sharp left turn and impacted the sea roughly 200 yards from the shore. The Cessna 402BL struck the water in a nose-first orientation before righting itself and settling in water approximately five feet deep. There was no post-impact fire reported.
Findings
Local vessels arrived at the wreckage site shortly after the impact. Upon inspection, it was confirmed that there were eight fatalities among the occupants of the aircraft.