marsh harbour accident

[Bandit60]

I was flying throught the Bahamas today, and the controller was talking to another pilot and mentioned there was an accident in Marsh harbour yesterday.

Does anyone know what happened or have any details?

 

[ClassG]

Heard from a friend

Heard from a friend who was flying into Marsh Harbour just after it happened that a single (182?) seems to have run out of fuel and came to a rest between the trees about 300 feet short of runway 9. One fatality and one who crawled out of the wreckage and onto Runway 9 before anyone really noticed what happend.

They didn't even close the airport or runway, just sent out a rescue truck for the "Bodies" and kept the arrivals coming.

I suppose if the wreckage is not in the way of anything, they'll just leave it there with the rest of the crushed hulls still sitting in the weeds out there.

The above is second hand, the details are not verified. It's all I know.

ClassG

 

[n757st]

My friend was flying a king air in there and saw the aftermath:

He said that approaching Marsh there was a report of a man on the runway, and to use extreme caution. A minute later they saw the man who was laying on the numbers at the end of one of the runways. They touched down and they saw the pickup truck go out to the end of the runway, followed by him coming back at full speed and getting help( apparently very unusual according to him for any native from the area to move fast). My friend said that there was a guy in the bed of the truck that was either dead or in extremely bad shape as he was very very cut up. He crawled/walked about a 1/4 of a mile to get back to the airport while in this condition from the crashsite, pretty remarkable if you ask me. The other two people in the airplane were killed. He also informed me that the wreckage was so bad that he could not tell whether the airplane was a cherokee or a cessna when he flew over it to fly back to Daytona.

Any other questions PM me and I will ask him. What a horrible situation.

These are the distances he told me, and the number of people involed.

 

[Bandit60]

n757st

Does your friend work for Vintage Prop and Jets?

 

[n757st]

Does your friend work for Vintage Prop and Jets?

Yep

 

[ClassG]

Saw the wreckage yesterday

Flew in and out of Marsh Harbour yesterday and saw the wreckage. Definitey a single-engine Cessna, but no idea what model. Was told by one of my passengers that the local newspaper reported yesterday morning there were 5 people on the plane. 2 died, 3 survived. Pilot killed. Happened on approach to runway 9.

The wreckage is located maybe 200-300 feet to the North of the runway 9 numbers and it is a MESS. Parts everywhere as it went down through the tall trees next to the runway. There is an accident scene set up and a number of vehicles and personnel working the site.

Looks very much to me like it happened on climb-out from 27. If it DID happen on approach, I'd have to say it was a left-base SHORT approach to 9 that stall-spun pretty badly because the wreckage is all within 25-50 feet on the ground. Either way, there is no sign of fire anywhere.

That's all I've got.

ClassG

 

[Bandit60]

I bet alot of people will see this wreckage also because it is a holiday weekend and alot of folks are going to the Bahama for R&R

 

[ClassG]

Found a news story

Turns out the wife of survivor was pregnant. Sad.

http://www.freep.com/news/statewire/sw98631_20040529.htm

 

[SATCFI]

IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 9690X Make/Model: C210 Description: 210, T210, (Turbo)Centurion
Date: 05/27/2004 Time:

Event Type: Accident Highest Injury: Fatal Mid Air: N Missing: N
Damage: Unknown

LOCATION
City: BAHAMAS MARSH HARBOR State: Country: BS

DESCRIPTION
ACFT CRASHED UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, 3 PERSONS ON BOARD WERE FATALLY
INJURED, MARSH HARBOR, ABACO ISLAND, THE BAHAMAS

INJURY DATA Total Fatal: 3
# Crew: 1 Fat: 1 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Pass: 2 Fat: 2 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:
# Grnd: Fat: 0 Ser: 0 Min: 0 Unk:

WEATHER: NOT REPORTED



OTHER DATA
Activity: Unknown Phase: Unknown Operation: General Aviation

Departed: UNK Dep Date: Dep. Time:
Destination: UNK Flt Plan: UNK Wx Briefing: U
Last Radio Cont: UNK
Last Clearance: UNK

FAA FSDO: MIAMI, FL (SO19) Entry date: 05/28/2004

 

[EDUC8-or]

Does your friend work for Vintage Prop and Jets?

1JJ?

This is sad. I hope this wasn't a fuel starvation situation. I've had 2 or 3 students who always wonder why I want to stop and get gas, they have to pay (but get reimbursed.) I was with some guy that wouldn't pay, and I used my card to put more in. To prove my point I had one of our line guys refuel after landing and we put 80 in a tank that has 93 usable. We were on our way back from EYW and at OBE we put in 20 gallons.

 

[2000flyer]

I've been into Marsh several times and it can be a tricky airport. Loads of VFR traffic, even during IFR operations; a runway that sheds NO water and quickly becomes unusable; ATC that won't issue IFR clearances via phone, etc.

I find it difficult to think fuel starvation played a role, but you never know. Fuel is the cheapest insurance one can have, especially over water. As with any accident/incident, hopefully we can all learn a lesson here.

2000Flyer