The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune News Editor

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

AIR accident investigators found that “loss of power resulting in a loss of control inflight” caused a plane crash in Long Island last year that resulted in a woman’s death.

However, investigators could not determine the contributing factors to the crash.

A PA-31-310 Piper Navajo aircraft crashed moments after takeoff from the Deadman’s Cay airport on June 5, 2022. The plane, which was headed to the Lynden Pindling International Airport, had seven people on board.

Aleitheia Newbold, a mother of a seven-month-old baby, died in the crash. She was ejected from her seat. Other passengers found her lying about five feet from the rear door of the fuselage as they left the aircraft.

 Investigators said it’s possible the passenger seat restraint did not properly secure the woman. An autopsy determined she died primarily due to impact and blunt force trauma.

 The 45-year-old pilot was certified by the US Federal Aviation Administration and was issued an airline transport pilot license, airplane multi-engine land, on October 30th, 2014.

 The report said: “The aircraft was certified and equipped in accordance with existing US CFR regulations Part 91 and approved procedures. The aircraft had a valid certificate of airworthiness. The aircraft was properly registered in the United States of America. No evidence of a weight and balance for the aircraft was found during the investigation.

 “The pilot possessed an Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL) with airplane multi-engine land, and private pilot privileges with airplane-single engine land, issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States of America (USA) on October 30, 2014. He also held a type rating on the BE-1900 aircraft.

 “The pilot in command First Class Medical Certificate was issued by the FAA in May 2016. Title 14 US Code of Federal Regulations Part 61.2 (b) (1) states: ‘No person may: Exercise privileges of an airman certificate, rating, endorsement, or authorization issued under this part unless that person meets the appropriate airman and medical recency requirements of this part, specific to the operation or activity.’

 “In accordance with Title 14 US Code of Federal Regulations Part 61.23 (d), the expiration of a First Class Medical Certificate issued under this part for an individual age 40 or over, exercising the privileges of a private pilot certificate is as follows, ‘24th month after the month of the date of examination shown on the medical certificate.’”

 The report said the aircraft was not equipped with a flight data recorder or a cockpit voice recorder, neither of which regulations required.

 Maintenance records show the aircraft was maintained per the manufacturer’s approved maintenance procedures.

 The crash and other incidents involving US-registered aircraft operating in The Bahamas prompted the Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) to raise a safety concern with the FAA on February 21, 2023.

 “The safety concern identified the need for enhanced surveillance activity which can potentially serve as a mitigating measure against future occurrence of accidents/incidents. The FAA responded on February 22, 2023, and advised that there will be enhanced efforts in collaboration with the Civil Aviation Authority Bahamas (CAA-B) to address safety related issues with an aim of reducing the occurrence of accidents/incidents involving United States registered aircraft operating in The Bahamas,” the report said.