ASN Aircraft accident Douglas DC-3C N782T Saint Thomas-Cyril E. King Airport (STT)
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Wednesday 19 July 2006
Time:07:20
Type:Silhouette image of generic DC3 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Douglas DC-3C
Operator:Tol Air Services
Registration: N782T
MSN: 4382
First flight: 1942
Total airframe hrs:32278
Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92D
Crew:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Passengers:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Total:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4
Aircraft damage: Substantial
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:1,5 km (0.9 mls) W off Saint Thomas-Cyril E. King Airport (STT) (   U.S. Virgin Islands)
Phase: Initial climb (ICL)
Nature:Ferry/positioning
Departure airport:Saint Thomas-Cyril E. King Airport (STT/TIST), U.S. Virgin Islands
Destination airport:San Juan-Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU/TJSJ), Puerto Rico
Narrative:
The DC-3 had delivered mail to Saint Thomas (STT) and was prepared for positioning flight back to San Juan, Puerto Rico. The first officer was flying the airplane. The takeoff roll and rotation at 84 knots was uneventful until about 100 feet above the ground when the gear was called out to be retracted. At that time, the left engine's rpm dropped from 1,800 to 1,000. The captain stated he communicated to the first office "I have the plane". The left engine's propeller was selected for feathering. The airplane would not maintain altitude and airspeed. He instructed the first officer to confirm that the gear was retracted. The captain knew the airplane would not make it back to the airport and instructed the passengers to don their life vests and prepare for a ditching. The aircraft was ditched in the ocean and remained afloat. All occupants exited the airplane into a life raft.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The airplane's inability to maintain altitude for undetermined reasons, following a loss of power from the left engine."

Accident investigation:

cover
Investigating agency: NTSB
Status: Investigation completed
Duration: 1 year and 10 months
Accident number: MIA06LA125
Download report: Summary report

Classification:
Ditching

Sources:
» NTSB id. MIA06LA125
» N782T dive site off St Thomas


Photos

photo of Douglas-DC-3C-N782T
accident date: 19-07-2006
type: Douglas DC-3C
registration: N782T
 

Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Saint Thomas-Cyril E. King Airport to San Juan-Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport as the crow flies is 108 km (68 miles).
Accident location: Exact; deduced from official accident report.

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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