Britten-Norman BN-2 N127JL
28 November 1989 · Block Island, Rhode Island, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 28 November 1989 at about 23:25 local time, a Britten-Norman BN-2 registered N127JL was involved in an accident near Block Island, Rhode Island, United States. 8 people were on board and 8 died. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 23:25
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Block Island, Rhode Island, United States
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Britten-Norman BN-2
- Registration
- N127JL
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Not recorded
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Block Island → Westerly
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Night/Dark
- NTSB number
- DCA90MA010
People
8 people died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
THE AIRCRAFT CRASHED FOR AN UNDETERMINED REASON, DURING AN OVERWATER FLIGHT ON A DARK (MOONLESS) NIGHT UNDER A CLOUD LAYER. A SIGMET WAS IN EFFECT WARNING OF MODERATE TO OCCASIONALLY SEVERE TURBULENCE BELOW 6000 FEET AND THE POTENTIAL OF LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
ON DARK (MOONLESS) NGT, NONSCHED/DOMESTIC/PSGR FLT DEPD BLOCK ISLAND FOR WESTERLY, RI, WITH 7 PAX & 2 DOGS. IT CRASHED ALONG RTE IN BLOCK ISLAND SOUND, 3 TO 5 MI NW OF ISLAND (AN AREA LACKING VIS REF ON SFC). LTR, MAIN WRECKAGE WAS FND IN 130' OF WTR. ADNL WRECKAGE & BODIES OF PLT, 3 PAX & 2 DOGS WERE FND. ACFT WAS BADLY DMGD DRG IMPACT (L WING SEPD OTBD OF L ENG, EXTSV DMG TO FWD PART OF ACFT), BUT NO PREIMPACT PART FAILURE/MALFUNCTION WAS FND. COML/INST RATED PLT WAS PART TIME EMPLOYEE. HE WAS ON MEDICATION FOR LYME DISEASE, BUT NO PHYSIOLOGICAL PRBLM WAS FND THAT WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN ACDNT. AT APRX 1720 EST, THERE WAS A PIREP OF A BKN CLD LAYER AT 10,000'. ANOTHER PLT, WHO WAS FLYING AT ABT THE SAME TIME, RPRTD SCT CLDS ABV 10,000', OVR 10 MI VIS, WND WESTERLY AT 15 TO 25 MPH & LGT TO MOD TURBC. SIGMET (GOLF 4) WARNED OF MOD OCNL SEV TURBC BLO 6000' & POTENTIAL OF LOW LVL WND SHEAR. ACDNT OCCURRED ALONG BIRD MIGRATORY RTE. THERE HAD BEEN NO RECENT FAA INSPN OF BASE, RAMP, COCKPIT (EN RTE CHECK), GND/FLT TRNG PROGRAM, CREW/DISPATCH/TRIP RECORD.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Britten-Norman BN-2 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Dec 1984 | Britten-Norman BN-2 | San Juan | Crown Air, Inc. | No injuries | - |
| 21 Mar 1983 | Britten-Norman BN-2 MARK III | Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, United States | Wings Airways | Minor injuries | - |
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 Aug 1989 | Cessna 210N | Westerly, Rhode Island, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 14 Jan 1989 | Cessna T210 | Newport, Rhode Island, United States | James R. Gould | Minor injuries | - |
| 1 Jul 1989 | Piper PA-28R-200 | Middletown, Rhode Island, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 5 Jun 1988 | Enstrom F-28C | Westerly, Rhode Island, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 30 Jul 1988 | Cessna 172L | No. Kingstown, Rhode Island, United States | Stephen A. Yarnell | Minor injuries | - |
| 17 Sep 1988 | Robinson R-22 | W.kingston, Rhode Island, United States | Charles F. Samson | No injuries | - |