What happened
On the flight path from Canouvan to Barbados, the G-ILEA, an aircraft type, began deviating from its planned easterly route. Radar data indicates that after entering Barbadian airspace, the plane dropped from its cruise altitude of FL55 down to 2,300 feet. While the aircraft briefly stabilized at this lower altitude and returned to its intended track for approximately six minutes, it subsequently drifted south again and began a second descent.
During the flight, a pilot operating a different commercial vessel traveling from Grenada to Barbados intercepted a distress signal. This MAYDAY call from the crew of G-ILEA indicated that the aircraft had suffered an engine failure and was experiencing significant fuel loss, leading to concerns that the destination could not be reached. Shortly after this initial report, the pilot communicated an intention to ditch the aircraft in the water.
Radar tracking ended when the aircraft was last detected at an altitude of 600 feet, positioned roughly 55 miles from Barbados Airport on the 259° radial. Despite a large-scale search and rescue mission, there was no recovery of the aircraft or its two occupants.
Findings
An analysis of flight logs and fuel purchase records suggested that the aircraft was likely operating with insufficient fuel for the journey. The investigation concluded that the aircraft was critically low on fuel, which may have led to the engine failure and the subsequent decision to ditch.