Small US based cargo plane crashes off St. Maarten, killing 1; search continues for 2nd pilot
Authorities searched in the Caribbean Sea off Dutch St. Maarten on Thursday for one of two pilots from a small cargo plane operated by a U.S. company that crashed shortly after takeoff.
The body of the other pilot was recovered after the plane crashed Wednesday evening about 3 miles (5 kilometres) from the runway in St. Maarten, said Wendell Thode, an official with the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard, which was co-ordinating search efforts that included Dutch marines, volunteers and French authorities.
The cause of the crash was unknown. The government said local aviation authorities would conduct an investigation with assistance from experts from the U.S., where the plane was registered, and Britain, where it was manufactured.
The names of the pilots were withheld until their families could be notified.
St. Maarten is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and shares an island with French St. Martin.
The Skyway Enterprises twin-engine SH36 aircraft was en route to Puerto Rico at the time of the crash. Skyway Enterprises, based in Kissimmee, Florida, was operating under contract with FedEx.
The Associated Press
Alwin Marshall-Squire is the Editor-in-Chief of S-Q Publications Inc., overseeing editorial strategy for GTA Weekly, GTA Today, and Vision Newspaper. He leads the publications’ mission to deliver bold, original journalism focused on the people and communities of the Greater Toronto Area, Canada, and the global Caribbean diaspora.
Also writes for GTA Weekly and GTA Today.
