Incident
The aircraft departed from Tenerife airport at 0821. Two minutes into the flight, the left engine propeller began to overspeed. The pilot-in-command applied standard overspeed procedures but received no response. He then activated the feathering mechanism, which also proved ineffective. As the aircraft lost altitude, the pilot was forced to ditch approximately one mile from the coast, as the local terrain made a landing impossible.
Ditching and Evacuation
The ditching was executed normally. The aircraft remained afloat for about five minutes before sinking. During the evacuation, one passenger refused to abandon the aircraft, obstructed the evacuation of others, and resisted efforts by the pilot and hostess to bring him to safety. That passenger was carried down with the aircraft as it sank.
Probable Cause
According to the official investigation, the accident resulted from a propeller overspeed on the left side. However, the exact cause of the overspeed could not be determined because the aircraft was not recovered.