What happened
During a scheduled maritime patrol mission, an aircraft departed from Hamilton-Kindley Field Airport at 18:27 local time. While operating under nighttime conditions characterized by heavy rainfall, the flight encountered severe weather that contributed to a loss of control. The aircraft subsequently impacted the ocean in close proximity to a Liberian freighter.
Following the impact, the plane sank and was lost. There were ten fatalities among the crew members on board. No survivors were reported from the incident.
Findings
Preliminary assessments suggest that the accident may have been triggered by an engine failure or an engine fire occurring during the initial climb phase of the flight.