Factual Information
The accident involved a Piper Cherokee Six PA-32-300, registration N4219R, operated by DHPN Inc. The flight departed Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau, Bahamas, with a destination of Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA. On January 17, 2010, at approximately 4:40 p.m. local time (2140 UTC), the aircraft crashed about 2 nautical miles northwest of South Bimini Airport (MYBS). The accident occurred during a cold front and thunderstorm activity.
Meteorological Information
Weather conditions at the time included a cold front and associated thunderstorms. The aircraft encountered these adverse weather conditions while en route. The official investigation report discussed safety issues including pilot training in recognizing thunderstorm hazards and recovering from unusual attitudes, as well as the relaying of complete weather information to pilots by air traffic controllers.
Investigation
The Air Accident Investigation and Prevention Unit (AAIPU) of the Bahamas Civil Aviation Department conducted the investigation. Notification was sent to the Department of Civil Aviation, the National Transportation Safety Board, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the Federal Aviation Administration, Piper Aircraft Inc., Lycoming Textron, and other parties. Accredited representatives included Mr. Ron Maynard (Piper Aircraft Inc.), Mr. Edward Rogalski (Lycoming Textron), Mr. Jose Obregon (NTSB), Mr. Darrell T. Webb (FAA), and Mr. Christopher Dannecker (GAB Robins). The report abstract indicated that the investigation examined pilot training in thunderstorm hazard recognition and unusual attitude recovery, and the communication of weather information by ATC. No probable cause was explicitly stated in the available summary.