Accident Overview
On September 9, 1999, at approximately 1915 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-31-310, registration N6579L, operated by Webs Planes, Inc., as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed about 50 yards east of San Andros Airport on Andros Island, Bahamas. The accident followed an inflight explosion and cockpit fire.
Flight Details
Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident, and a VFR flight plan had been filed. The flight originated from Nassau, New Providence, at approximately 1910. The aircraft was destroyed by ground fire. The commercially-rated pilot and six passengers were not injured.
Pilot Account
According to the pilot, when the aircraft was about 15 miles from its destination at San Andros, he heard a loud explosion from under the floor. He then experienced fire in the cockpit. Attempts to extinguish the fire were unsuccessful, and he began to lose engine power. The pilot tried to reach the runway at San Andros but impacted mangrove growth east of the airport. He stated that he thought the problem may have been a short circuit in electrical wiring under the airplane's floorboards.
Damage
The airplane was destroyed by ground fire.
Probable Cause
The investigation did not state a probable cause for the accident.