Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain crash, Jan 18, 1980, Chr...
Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain accident on January 18, 1980 near Christiansted-Henry E. Rohlsen (ex Alexander Hamilton), US Virgin Islands with no...
- Date: January 18, 1980
- Aircraft: Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain
- Location: Christiansted-Henry E. Rohlsen (ex Alexander Hamilton), US Virgin Islands
- Fatalities: 0
- Phase of flight: Takeoff and climb
- Cause: Powerplant failure of undetermined cause. Contributing factors were the pilot not following approved procedures, improper emergency procedures, gear retraction after the initial power loss, and feathering an engine after power surged back (NTSB report MIA80FA029).
A Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain operated by Eastern Caribbean Airways lost engine power shortly after takeoff from Christiansted on 18 January 1980 on a scheduled flight to Charlotte Amalie. The pilot elected to return, but the aircraft struck trees and crashed into the sea a few dozen yards offshore. All ten occupants were evacuated, three of them seriously injured, and the aircraft was destroyed.