SH36, vicinity Sint Maarten Eastern Caribbean, 2014

SH36, vicinity Sint Maarten Eastern Caribbean, 2014

Summary

On 29 October 2014, a Shorts SD 3-60 ceased its climb out soon after take-off and was subsequently found to have descended into the sea at increasing speed with the impact destroying the aircraft. The Investigation found that the aircraft had been airworthy prior to the crash and, noting a dark night departure and a significant authority gradient on the fight deck, concluded that the pilot flying had probably experienced a somatogravic illusion as the aircraft accelerated during flap retraction and made a required left turn. The extent of any intervention by the other pilot could not be determined.

Description

On 29 October 2014, contact was lost with a Shorts SD 3-60 (N380MQ) being operated by SkyWay Enterprises from a base in Puerto Rico under contract to FedEx Corporation and on a scheduled cargo flight from Sint Maarten to San Juan Puerto Rico as SKZ7101 soon after take-off into night VMC and its wreckage was subsequently located on the sea bed less than a mile from the departure runway. The two pilots, the only occupants, were both killed.

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