NTSB Identification: ERA12LA268
14 CFR Part 91: General Aviation
Accident occurred Tuesday, April 03, 2012 in
Aircraft: Hawker Beechcraft C90GTx, registration: N8116L
Injuries: 2 Uninjured.

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. NTSB investigators may not have traveled in support of this investigation and used data provided by various sources to prepare this aircraft accident report.
On April 3, 2012, about 0920 atlantic standard time, a Hawker Beechcraft C90GTx, N8116L, was substantially damaged after ditching in the waters of the Caribbean Sea, 17 miles north of Aruba, following a dual loss of engine power during cruise. The flight departed Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE), Fort Lauderdale, Florida and was destined for Hato International Airport (TNCC), Willemstad, Curacao. The airline transport pilot and his pilot rated passenger were uninjured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight plan was filed for the delivery flight conducted under 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91.

On April 2, 2012, the pilots took delivery of the newly manufactured airplane on behalf of the owner from Hawker Beechcraft Corporation at Beech Factory Airport (BEC), Wichita, Kansas. The pilots then departed for FXE on the first leg of the delivery flight. During the leg from BEC to FXE the pilots made a decision to divert. After 3:15 of flight time, they landed at Marianna Municipal Airport (MAI), Marianna, Florida and added 153 gallons of fuel. They then departed for FXE.

After taking on fuel at MAI they departed for FXE arriving there after 1:54 of flight time. At approximately 1715 the pilots requested that that the airplane be refueled and gave their fuel request to the customer service agent at the fixed base operator and advised them that they would be departing at 0500 on the following day. The airplane was fueled about 20 minutes later.

On the morning of the accident, at approximately 0400 the pilots returned. One pilot filed the flight plan and the other pilot conducted the preflight of the airplane. The pilot finished his flight plan and walked out on to the ramp. After having their luggage placed onboard along with a bag of ice, they closed the door and started the engines. About 20 minutes later, they taxied out for departure and at approximately 0534 the pilots took off.

After takeoff the pilots climbed the airplane eventually reaching a cruising altitude of 27,000 feet. The flight was uneventful until the pilots observed that the fuel gauges were reading lower than they anticipated. According to air traffic control (ATC), sometime later the pilots reported that they were having engine problems and declared an emergency. The emergency was then reported by ATC to the rescue coordination center in Curacao who contacted the Royal Netherlands Navy Ship Amsterdam and Coast Guard Station Aruba. The Amsterdam launched a helicopter and Coast Guard Station Aruba launched a ridged bottom inflatable boat.

At 0952 the helicopter arrived at the ditching site and found the airplane still floating and the pilots in a life raft. At 1010 the pilots were hoisted out of the life raft by the helicopter and were flown to Aruba. The Amsterdam arrived at the ditching location at 1120 and reported that the airplane had sunk.

Index for Apr2012 | Index of months