Incident Overview
On May 31, 2002, at approximately 1315 Atlantic Standard Time, an Aero Commander 500-B, registration N78336, registered to Bevins Air Service Inc., ditched into the Atlantic Ocean near Roseau, Dominica. The aircraft was operating as a 14 CFR Part 135 air-taxi passenger and cargo flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and a VFR flight plan had been filed.
Flight History
The flight originated from Melville Hall Airport in Roseau, Dominica, at 1240. According to the Organization of East Caribbean States (OECS), the pilot informed Guadeloupe Air Traffic Control that the airplane was experiencing engine problems and that he was returning to Dominica. The airplane was last observed on radar approximately six miles north of Dominica.
Aftermath
The airplane has not been located and is presumed to be destroyed. The commercial pilot has not been located and is presumed to be fatally injured. The deceased passenger was recovered from the Atlantic Ocean on June 4, 2002.
Investigation Status
As of the source information, the aircraft remains missing. No probable cause has been determined in the source material.