What happened
During a flight traveling from Charlotte Amalie to Christiansted, the aircraft experienced a mechanical failure involving the right engine. In response to the loss of power, the pilot feathered the propeller. Following this event, an attempt was made to perform an emergency landing; however, the seaplane struck the surface of the Caribbean Sea near St. Croix Island. The impact caused the aircraft to sink into the ocean, and the wreckage was never retrieved.
Of the ten people on board, the accident resulted in five fatalities due to drowning. The remaining five survivors were successfully rescued from the scene.
Findings
Official investigations concluded that a powerplant failure occurred for reasons that could not be determined. Several contributing elements were identified during the analysis of the crash, including:
- Decisions made during the flight that were deemed improper
- The incorrect use or failure to deploy flaps
- Environmental factors such as rough water conditions and unfavorable winds
- An unscheduled feathering of the right propeller