Pilot chose to fly during powerful lightning storm, did not
make it home
A Britten-Normal Islander (photo below), property of Air
Flamenco out of San Juan (PR), disappeared on Wednesday
evening during a trip from Mayaguez to San Juan's Fernando Luis
Ribas Dominicci Airport (TJIG). On Thursday morning,
search parties began to find pieces of the aircraft and the luggage
it was carrying, but not the pilot. There were no other passengers
on the flight, which was the return leg of what originated as a
mail flight.
Portions of the wreckage of the plane were found floating off
the city of Manati, on the north coast of the island, by local
authorities and US Coast Guard search and rescue crews. Local
television showed pictures of a portion of the aircraft's landing
gear with its two tires and associated hardware still attached,
floaing near the famous surfing beach locally known as "Los Tubos,"
(The Tubes).
Gustavo Velez, spokesperson for Air Flamenco, a local part 135
firm, said that they had been told by authorities that the aircraft
is sitting some 300 feet below the surface. The pilot, Gamalier
Rivera Rivera, 28, has not yet been found, but Ports Authority
Director Miguel Soto Lacourt expressed hope that he could be found
alive if he survived the crash. There were unconfirmed reports that
a wounded person had been found at one of the area beaches,
but calls to hospitals did not uncover any additional information
at press time.
Soto Lacourt added the weather in the local area at the time of
the flight was "very bad, with strong wind gusts, thunder and
lightning." The storm was visible from most of the northern side of
the island, with huge lightning bolts streaking clear across the
western sky. An eyewitness said that during one of the lightning
bolt flashes, he saw an aircraft that fit the description of the
Islander flying very low around hills in the Manati area.
Because pieces of the landing gear were recovered from the
water, authorities are speculating that Rivera Rivera may have
attempted a water ditching.
IDENTIFICATION
Regis#: 902GD
Make/Model: BN2P Description: BN-2,
BN-2A/B ISLANDER, DEFENDER, MARITI
Date: 09/29/2004 Time: 2245
Event Type: Accident Highest Injury:
None Mid Air: N Missing:
N
Damage: Destroyed
LOCATION
City: VEGA
BAJA
State: Country: PR
DESCRIPTION
FLAMENCO, N902GD, A BRITTEN-NORMAN BN-2A-27 ACFT, CRASHED
NEAR TORTUGUERO
LAGOON UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, ACFT WAS DESTROYED, VEGA
BAJA, PUERTO
RICO
INJURY DATA Total
Fatal: 0
# Crew: 0 Fat:
0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk: Y
# Pass: 0 Fat:
0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk: Y
# Grnd:
Fat: 0 Ser:
0 Min:
0 Unk:
WEATHER: TJBQ 292355Z 06008KT 3SM SHRA OVC010 24/22
A2992
OTHER DATA
Activity: Business Phase:
Unknown Operation: Air Taxi (On
Demand)
Departed: MAYAGUEZ,
PR
Dep Date: 09/20/2004 Dep. Time: 2245
Destination: SAN JUAN,
PR
Flt Plan: UNK
Wx Briefing: U
Last Radio Cont: UNK
Last Clearance: UNK
FAA FSDO: SAN JUAN, PR
(SO21)
Entry date: 10/01/2004