Britten-Norman ISLANDER BN2B-20 N16VM

Summary

On 2 December 1994, a Britten-Norman ISLANDER BN2B-20 registered N16VM, operated by Southern Cross Aviation, was involved in an accident near Pacific Ocean. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 December 1994

Classification

Accident

Location

Pacific Ocean

Coordinates

Not recorded

Aircraft

Britten-Norman ISLANDER BN2B-20

Registration

N16VM

Category

Airplane

Engines

2

Operator

Southern Cross Aviation

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Ferry

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Marshall Island → Honolulu

Aircraft damage

Destroyed

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

LAX95LA041

1 person was seriously injured.

An undetermined failure of the left engine. The inability of the airplane to maintain level flight and exceeding the one-engine capability was a factor in the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

THE AIRCRAFT WAS BEING OPERATED AS A FLIGHT OF TWO ON A FERRY FLIGHT FROM THE MARSHALL ISLANDS TO HONOLULU, HAWAII. THE AIRPLANE WAS EQUIPPED WITH AUXILIARY FUEL TANKS AND WAS OPERATED ON A SPECIAL AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE THAT ALLOWED FOR 10 PERCENT OVER GROSS WEIGHT OPERATIONS. ABOUT 2 HOURS AFTER DEPARTURE, WHILE AT AN ALTITUDE OF 7,000 FEET MEAN SEA LEVEL, THE ACCOMPANYING AIRPLANE NOTICED SMOKE TRAILING FROM THE LEFT ENGINE OF THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT. THE TWO AIRCRAFT TURNED AROUND AND THE PILOT DECLARED AN EMERGENCY. THE LEFT ENGINE OF THE ACCIDENT AIRPLANE QUIT AND THE PILOT FEATHERED THE PROPELLER. THE PILOT WAS UNABLE TO MAINTAIN LEVEL FLIGHT AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS DITCHED IN ROUGH WATER AND SUBSEQUENTLY SANK. THE PILOT WAS RESCUED ABOUT 20 HOURS AFTERWARDS.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.