Date:	Tuesday 29 April 2025
Time:	08:40
Type:	Air Tractor AT-802A Fire Boss
Owner/operator:	SAAMA Aviation SpA
Registration:	N4025K
MSN:	802A-1187
Engine model:	Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Category:	Accident
Location:	120 nm E of St John's, NL -   Atlantic Ocean
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Ferry/positioning
Departure airport:	St. John's Airport, NL (YYT/CYYT)
Destination airport:	Santa Maria-Vila do Porto Airport, Azores (SMA/LPAZ)
Investigating agency:	NTSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The float equipped airplane was en route on a ferry flight from St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, to Santa Maria, Portugal, when 130 nautical miles east-southeast of St. John’s, the airplane disappeared from radar over the Atlantic Ocean. An emergency locator transmitter was activated shortly after.

Search and rescue assets discovered one of the two pontoons, a plastic container containing a backpack, a seat cushion, and an empty life raft floating on the ocean surface in the vicinity where the airplane went missing. An oil slick was also observed on the water next to the pontoon. The search continued through the following day. The airplane and pilot have not been located.

ADS-B information showed the airplane took off and climbed to approximately 6,000 ft msl and proceeded on an easterly heading. About 21 minutes into the flight, the pilot reported picking up ice and requested a higher altitude. He was cleared and climbed to 7,000 ft. About 35 minutes into the flight, the airplane made a slight right turn and proceeded east-southeast. About 1 hour and 6 minutes into the flight, the airplane began a 2,000 ft/min. descent to the ocean surface. Just before reaching the surface, the airplane made a 180° turn toward the west. ADS-B data ended 1 hour and 10 minutes after takeoff.

Probable Cause: The airplane’s impact with the ocean for undetermined reasons based on the available evidence.

https://vocm.com/2025/04/29 un/search-launched-for-missing-aircraft-reported-to-have-gone-down-in-ocean-off-st-johns/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/nl-plane-crash-1.7521775
https://vocm.com/2025/04/30/search-continues-for-missing-plane-off-coast-of-newfoundland/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/nl-plane-crash-day-2-1.7522944

https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=200088
https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/N4025K/history/20250429/1000Z/CYYT/LPAZ
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/aircraft/n4025k#2ef9cf87

Photo: NTSB

St. John’s, NL, Canada Canadian Coast Guard transmitting site.

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
29-Apr-2025 18:00	SignorPignolini	Added
29-Apr-2025 18:02	ASN	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Narrative, ]
29-Apr-2025 18:07	ASN	Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Nature, Destination airport, Source, ]
30-Apr-2025 16:25	AgOps	Updated [Aircraft type, ]
30-Apr-2025 19:00	AgOps	Updated [Source, Narrative, ]
01-May-2025 10:10	Anon.	Updated [Source, ]
01-May-2025 14:11	AgOps	Updated [Total fatalities, Source, ]
08-May-2025 21:59	Captain Adam	Updated [Time, Operator, Source, Damage, Category, Accident report, ]
13-Aug-2025 19:26	Captain Adam	Updated [Cn, Operator, Source, Narrative, Photo, ]
23-Aug-2025 12:44	Aerossurance	Updated [Location, ]
22-Oct-2025 06:21	Uisge	Updated [Photo, ]