Divi Divi Air Flight 014
Encyclopedia
Divi Divi Air
Flight 014 was a scheduled commuter flight from Hato International Airport in Curaçao to Flamingo International Airport in Bonaire carrying a single pilot and nine passengers, which on 22 October 2009 ditched in the Caribbean Sea off the Coast of Bonaire due to an engine failure.
, registration PJ-SUN. The aircraft made its first flight on 12 December 1973, and was therefore almost 36 years old at the time of the accident.
of Curaçao
en-route to the Flamingo International Airport
on the sister island of Bonaire. The aircraft departed from Curaçao at 09:48 with an estimated landing time of 10:13 at Bonaire. Approximately 10 minutes after departure the starbord engine failed in flight. The pilot, Robert Mansell, elected to continue the flight to Bonaire on the remaining engine and at approximately 24nm west of Bonaire, the pilot contacted Flamingo Tower and informed the controller that he was flying on one engine. Following the engine failure the aircraft started to lose altitude at a rate of about 200 feet per minute until it impacted the water at a position approximately 0.5 nm south of Klein Bonaire and 3 nm west of the main island at time 10:17.
Moments before the ditching Mansell Looked into the cabin and gave the thumbs up to the passengers, checking that their life vests were on.
During the ditching
, at impact with the water surface, the cockpit door and left main landing gear were detached from the aircraft. All nine passengers survived the ditching and were rescued by a nearby diver’s boat. The passengers reported that after the ditching, the pilot was injured and appeared to be unconscious as he did not try to remove himself from the aeroplane. The pilot actually went down with the aircraft despite the efforts of some passengers who tried to remove him from his seat while the aeroplane was sinking.
Divi Divi Air
Divi Divi Air N.V. is a small regional service airline in the Curaçao. It was established in 2001 and is based on Curaçao in the Netherlands Antilles, with ticket offices in both Curaçao and Bonaire. In the area its nickname is "e Divi Divi"...
Flight 014 was a scheduled commuter flight from Hato International Airport in Curaçao to Flamingo International Airport in Bonaire carrying a single pilot and nine passengers, which on 22 October 2009 ditched in the Caribbean Sea off the Coast of Bonaire due to an engine failure.
Aircraft
The aircraft involved was a Britten-Norman BN-2A IslanderBritten-Norman Islander
The Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander is a 1960s British light utility aircraft, regional airliner and cargo aircraft designed and originally manufactured by Britten-Norman of the United Kingdom. The Islander is one of the best-selling commercial aircraft types produced in Europe. Although designed in...
, registration PJ-SUN. The aircraft made its first flight on 12 December 1973, and was therefore almost 36 years old at the time of the accident.
Accident
The flight originated from Hato International AirportHato International Airport
Hato International Airport or Curaçao International Airport is the airport of Willemstad, Curaçao. It has services to the Caribbean region, South America, North America and Europe...
of Curaçao
Curaçao
Curaçao is an island in the southern Caribbean Sea, off the Venezuelan coast. The Country of Curaçao , which includes the main island plus the small, uninhabited island of Klein Curaçao , is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands...
en-route to the Flamingo International Airport
Flamingo International Airport
Flamingo International Airport or Bonaire International Airport is an international airport located at Kralendijk, Bonaire, Netherlands. The Flamingo Airport serves as a connecting point for flights of KLM to some airports in South America...
on the sister island of Bonaire. The aircraft departed from Curaçao at 09:48 with an estimated landing time of 10:13 at Bonaire. Approximately 10 minutes after departure the starbord engine failed in flight. The pilot, Robert Mansell, elected to continue the flight to Bonaire on the remaining engine and at approximately 24nm west of Bonaire, the pilot contacted Flamingo Tower and informed the controller that he was flying on one engine. Following the engine failure the aircraft started to lose altitude at a rate of about 200 feet per minute until it impacted the water at a position approximately 0.5 nm south of Klein Bonaire and 3 nm west of the main island at time 10:17.
Moments before the ditching Mansell Looked into the cabin and gave the thumbs up to the passengers, checking that their life vests were on.
During the ditching
Water landing
A water landing is, in the broadest sense, any landing on a body of water. All waterfowl, those seabirds capable of flight, and some human-built vehicles are capable of landing in water as a matter of course....
, at impact with the water surface, the cockpit door and left main landing gear were detached from the aircraft. All nine passengers survived the ditching and were rescued by a nearby diver’s boat. The passengers reported that after the ditching, the pilot was injured and appeared to be unconscious as he did not try to remove himself from the aeroplane. The pilot actually went down with the aircraft despite the efforts of some passengers who tried to remove him from his seat while the aeroplane was sinking.