Nighttime aircraft crash near Port-au-Prince

3 fatalities • Port-au-Prince-Toussaint Louverture (François Duvalier), Haiti • Landing (descent or approach)

An unregistered flight crashed short of the runway at Port-au-Prince-François Duvalier Airport during a night approach, resulting in three fatalities.

What happened

During a nighttime final approach to Port-au-Prince-François Duvalier Airport, an aircraft lost control and entered an inverted roll before impacting the ground short of the runway. The impact resulted in a fire that completely destroyed the plane. There were three fatalities among the occupants of the aircraft.

Investigations following the crash revealed that the flight was not scheduled to arrive at this destination. Furthermore, the pilot failed to submit a flight plan prior to departure and maintained no radio communication with Air Traffic Control throughout the flight. Authorities also discovered a shipment of marijuana inside the wreckage.

Findings

Official reports from Haitian authorities indicate that the lack of a filed flight plan and the absence of communication with ATC were significant factors surrounding the incident.

Probable cause

The aircraft crashed following an uncontrolled roll during approach, complicated by the pilot's failure to communicate with air traffic control or file a flight plan.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 1980-07-12 Douglas DC-3 accident near Port-au-Prince-Toussaint Louverture (François Duvalier), Haiti?

An unregistered flight crashed short of the runway at Port-au-Prince-François Duvalier Airport during a night approach, resulting in three fatalities.

Were there any fatalities in the 1980-07-12 Douglas DC-3 accident?

The accident was fatal, resulting in 3 fatalities.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 1980-07-12 involved a Douglas DC-3, at Port-au-Prince-Toussaint Louverture (François Duvalier), Haiti.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The aircraft crashed following an uncontrolled roll during approach, complicated by the pilot's failure to communicate with air traffic control or file a flight plan.

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