What happened
On October 17, 2016, at approximately 22:00 UTC, a Lake Renegade LA-250 amphibious aircraft, registration N-724ST, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic. The aircraft was conducting a private international flight from Toussaint Louverture International Airport (MTPP) in Haiti to Gregorio Luperón International Airport (MDPP) in the Dominican Republic.
During the approach to the destination, the pilot maintained contact with the tower, reporting a position of approximately 4.2 nautical miles from the station and stating the runway was not in sight. Following this communication, the aircraft disappeared from radar. There were three missing persons on board, including the pilot and two passengers. Search and rescue operations, involving the Dominican Air Force, Navy, and the U. and US Coast Guard, were unable to locate the wreckage or the occupants, officially ending the search after four days.
The investigation
The CIAA investigation focused on the flight's final moments, analyzing air traffic control communications, radar tracks, and recovered debris. Investigators recovered a section of the left wing and some seats from the ocean surface. Analysis of the wing deformation suggested the aircraft was in a left-hand turn at the moment of impact with the water.
Meteorological data indicated that a trough was present north of the Dominican Republic, causing heavy rain and thunderstorms. At the time of the accident, the destination airport was operating under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) due to poor visibility, while the aircraft was attempting a Visual Flight Rules (VFR) approach.
Findings
- The pilot entered adverse weather conditions, which likely led to spatial disorientation.
- The aircraft entered Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC) suddenly, losing visual contact with the airport.
- The aircraft was flying below the minimum safe altitude for the area during the encounter with the weather.
- Low visibility and heavy rain prevented the pilot from maintaining the intended visual approach pattern, leading to a left turn and subsequent loss of altitude into the ocean surface.