What happened
On March 24, 2001, at 20:28 UTC, a De Havilland DHC-6-300 Twin Otter, registration F-OGES, was operating a scheduled passenger flight (TX 1501) from Saint-Martin to Saint-Barthélemy. The aircraft was flying under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) at an altitude of 1,500 feet.
After communicating its passage over the 'Fourchue' and 'Pain de sucre' checkpoints, the crew began the final approach for runway 10. As the aircraft approached the Col de la Tourmente, witnesses, including an AFIS agent, observed the plane enter a steep left turn and suddenly dive toward the ground. The aircraft struck the ground near a residential house and immediately burst into flames. The impact and subsequent fire caused the deaths of the 2 crew members, 17 passengers, and 1 person residing in the nearby house.
The investigation
The BEA investigation involved examining the wreckage, determining the flight trajectory, and collecting witness testimonies. Investigators also analyzed a video tape recovered from a camcorder found in the debris, which captured sequences of the flight from takeoff through cruise up to the vicinity of Pointe à Colombier.
Technical examinations of the engines and propellers revealed that both engines were delivering significant power at the moment of impact. The deformation of the propellers indicated a symmetric application of power. The investigation also noted the absence of flight recorders (CVR/FDR) on the aircraft, which limited the ability to analyze the final minutes of the flight.
Findings
- The aircraft was destroyed by the high-energy impact and subsequent intense fire.
- Witnesses described the final approach as being lower than typical approaches for the airfield.
- The aircraft entered a steep left bank and a nose-down attitude shortly before impact.
- The lack of onboard flight recorders prevented a definitive reconstruction of the cockpit'..'s final actions.