Last updated: 25 January 2021
| Status: | |
| Date: | Saturday 17 March 1979 |
| Type: |  de Havilland Canada DHC-4A Caribou |
| Operator: | Air Inuit |
| Registration: | C-GVYW |
| C/n / msn: | 291 |
| First flight: | 1970 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Missing |
| Aircraft fate: | Presumed damaged beyond repair |
| Location: | ca 75 km SW off Bridgetown, Barbados ( Atlantic Ocean)
|
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Ferry/positioning |
| Departure airport: | Georgetown-Timehri International Airport (GEO/SYCJ), Guyana |
| ? |
The aircraft, a DHC-4A Caribou transport plane was being ferried to Canada after having been stored in Guyana for 15 months. It operated previously for Guyana Airways as 8R-GDO. Cargo included two spare engines, one extra propeller and spare parts. The only overwater survival equipment on board was four life jackets for the three occupants.
While en route south of Barbados, the pilot radioed that an engine had failed and that the other engine was overheating. He stated that the flight was diverting to Barbados. Forty-four minutes later he made his last transmission and reported he was at 50 feet. No trace of the aircraft was found despite an intensive search mounted by Barbados.
Classification:
All engine powerloss Ditching
Sources:
» ICAO Adrep 1981-4» Ottawa Citizen - Mar 21, 1979
Photos
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
