1959-08-23: De Havilland DH.114 Heron (VP-BAO) — LIAT - The Caribbean Airline (Leeward Islands Air Transport) — Basseterre-Golden Rock, Saint Kitts and Nevis
Basseterre-Golden Rock, Saint Kitts and NevisLanding (descent or approach)
On August 23, 1959, a De Havilland DH.114 Heron (registration VP-BAO) operated by LIAT - The Caribbean Airline (Leeward Islands Air Transport) was involved in an aviation accident near Basseterre-Golden Rock, Saint Kitts and Nevis during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft failed to decelerate sufficiently before reaching the end of the runway, leading to a runway excursion. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 1 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A four-engine airplane sustained significant damage after failing to stop following touchdown at Golden Rock Airport.
What happened
Following the landing phase at Golden Rock Airport, a four-engine airplane experienced issues maintaining deceleration within the available runway length. As the aircraft attempted to come to a stop, it overran the end of the runway. During this excursion, the plane's undercarriage was lost. The incident resulted in the aircraft being declared a total loss due to damage sustained during the event.
Findings
There were no fatalities or injuries reported among the occupants of the aircraft.
The primary factor in the accident was the inability to stop within the remaining runway distance after touchdown.
Probable cause
The aircraft failed to decelerate sufficiently before reaching the end of the runway, leading to a runway excursion.