Departure and Flight Plan
The flight departed Anguilla at 0803 AST. At 0805, the pilot contacted St. Maarten and filed a VFR flight plan to St. Thomas. The plan specified a direct route at an altitude of 4,500 feet MSL with an estimated en route time of 45 minutes.
Disappearance and Search
The aircraft did not arrive at its intended destination. Search operations were conducted but were suspended on October 23 with no results.
Weather Observations
Other pilots flying in the region on the accident date reported that at 0920, a line of thunderstorms was present, extending northwest from St. Maarten to the Antigua area. The thunderstorm line had a base as low as 1,000 feet with continuous heavy rain below.
Findings
The aircraft damage and injuries are presumed. The official probable cause is recorded as Occurrence #1: missing aircraft; phase of operation unknown; reason for occurrence undetermined.