Accident Details
The aircraft crashed in the ocean near Duncan Town, Bahamas. The flight had been airborne en route from Nassau for approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes. Witnesses on a nearby boat reported that the aircraft was flying in a slight left bank when the left wing separated from the aircraft. The aircraft then rolled to the left and impacted the water. The wreckage sank in water about 50 feet deep.
Witness Observations
Witnesses described the weather at the time as VMC (Visual Meteorological Conditions). However, the weather reported along the route included broken to overcast skies with rain showers and isolated thunderstorms.
Examination Findings
The left outboard wing panel was recovered and examined at the NTSB laboratory. All fractures were found to be from overstress. No preexisting cracks were found, and there was no evidence of fatigue or failure from corrosion. The wing tip had crushing damage and a blue paint transfer, consistent with a collision. The partly blue vertical stabilizer was damaged from the separated wing section striking it. Later recovery of the inboard left wing section confirmed that separation of the outboard section resulted from overstress.
Occupants
All six occupants of the aircraft were killed in the accident.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause as determined by the investigation includes three occurrences: first, an airframe/component/system failure (wing spar failure) due to the pilot exceeding the aircraft's design stress limits during cruise; second, a loss of control during descent; and third, an in-flight collision with water (terrain condition: water) during an uncontrolled descent.