Investigators: Fuel Exhaustion Caused Fatal Piper Aztec Crash

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Investigators have found that the cause of the September 2024 incident of that Piper Aztec landing off New Providence was due to dual loss of power due to fuel exhaustion.

The 34-page report lists three factors that contributed to the incident:

Inadequate utilization of flight planning procedures. Meteorological conditions at San Andros Airport that include visibility that was apparently less than what is prescribed for visual flying, and decisions mainly utilized by the pilot in command led to three unsuccessful attempts for landing at San Andros over 12 minutes.

The report also lists 34 findings.

Among them, the plane had a valid certificate of airworthiness and was registered in the United States.

Additionally, the pilot possessed a private pilot certificate with single-engine and multi-engine ratings issued by the United States Federal Aviation Administration on February 2nd, 2009.

However, the report noted the pilot was not instrument rated, and he was also not certified to perform in weather conditions below what is prescribed for visual flying.

Here’s what happened in the final minutes before the incident:

> At 3:24 PM the pilot advised Nassau Approach Control that he could not land at San Andros Airport and that he would return to the Lynden Pindling International Airport.

>At 3:28 pm the pilot advised Nassau Approach Control of engine problems.

>At 3:30 pm the pilot declared a full emergency with Nassau Approach Control after observing loss of power to both engines.

The passengers were informed of the emergency situation, and the pilot in command ensured that all occupants donned their life vests.

>At 3:34 pm, a nearby pilot monitoring the frequency asked the pilot of the doomed aircraft if he had “feathered the prop”. 


He responded, “It ain’ shut off yet, it still windmilling.”

The pilot ditched the aircraft in waters approximately 6.5 miles west of the approach end of Runway 10 at LPIA.

Six people were pulled from the water.

After assessments were made by search and rescue personnel, 87-year-old Allen Russell and 43-year-old Emma Williams died. 


Investigators also found there was no written procedure in place for low-visibility operations in the airport authority procedures.

It was added by the airport authority on September 13th, 2024, a day after the occurrence.