1977 Vieques Air Link crash

April 2023 1977 airplane crash in Puerto Rico 1977 Vieques Air Link crash Accident Vieques Air Link Britten-Norman BN-2A-9 Islander, similar to the crashed aircraft but with a later VAL livery N907VL Vieques Air Link Britten-Norman BN-2A-9 Islander (S-N 343) (8456876844).jpg 250 19 December 1977 Pilot error Vieques, Puerto Rico Britten-Norman Islander Vieques Air Link N862JA St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands Vieques Airport, Vieques, Puerto Rico 10 9 1 5 5, including the pilot On 19 December 1977, the 1977 Vieques Air Link crash took place when a Vieques Air Link Britten Norman BN-2A Islander crashed into the waters off the Atlantic Ocean near Vieques, Puerto Rico during a flight from St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands to Vieques. Flight The airplane was on an international scheduled flight between St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands and Vieques, Puerto Rico.https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19771219-1&lang=es Descripción del Accidente ASN 19 DEC 1977 Britten-Norman BN-2A-6 Islander N862JA - Vieques aviation-safety.net Accident The airplane started experiencing fuel starvation as it was near Vieques. The aircraft's engines flamed out due to the starvation, and the pilot decided to ditch off, or land the plane on the ocean, before the situation became more critical. The airplane crashed at 07:48AM local standard time. April 2023 Passengers and crew There were ten people on board the doomed aircraft, nine of which were passengers and one, its 50-year-old pilot, who was the sole crew member. Of those, five died, all of them passengers. The pilot and four other passengers survived.https://www.planecrashinfo.com/1977/1977-61.htm Accident detail planecrashinfo.com 12 April 2023 Investigation The investigation that followed blamed the pilot due to alleged inadequate pre-flight preparation or planning, which later resulted in his mismanagement of the aircraft's available fuel and then the double-engine flame out and subsequent crash. Vieques Air Link Flight 901A Approximately seven years later, another Vieques Air Link islander, flying as Vieques Air Link Flight 901A, crashed near the same place after suffering engine problems too, flying a similar route but in the opposite direction.https://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/08/02/Nine-die-in-Caribbean-air-shuttle-crash/5468460267200/ Nine die in Caribbean air shuttle crash UPI Helen Simon 2 August 1984 13 March 2025 References Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1977 Category:Vieques Air Link accidents and incidents Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in Puerto Rico Category:Aviation accidents and incidents involving the Britten-Norman Islander Category:Airliner accidents and incidents in Puerto Rico