The Cessna 402 crash that killed Aaliyah - Overweight Plane, Unqualified Pilot

A recount of the many factors leading up to the tragic incident.

Aaliyah Dana Haughton, also known as "Princess of R&B" and "Queen of Urban Pop," had finished filming a music video in the Bahamas ahead of schedule and wanted to board a flight back to the United States early. 

Nine people boarded a Blackhawk International Airways-operated Cessna 402B that was registered as N8097W to Skystream and was similar to, but not the same one seen. It departed from Runway 27 at Marsh Harbour-Leonard M. Thompson International Airport.

A tragedy follows shortly after.

Sadly, the aircraft violently crashed into the ground just after takeoff. 

Several people di£d in the disaster right away, and according to witnesses, the first few survivors were in serious condition, screaming, and finally passed away from their wounds. As with any aircraft mishap, something rarely going badly wrong for one reason alone.

several discoveries and reasons

There were numerous weight-related issues that were not managed properly. The estimated excess weight of the aircraft, as it started taxiing, was close to 1000 lb (454 kg). The center of gravity (CoG) of the aircraft was also about 4.4 inches (11.2 cm) outside the maximum aft-allowed CoG envelope.

There was no weight and balance document discovered after the incident, according to reports, and the luggage wasn't weighed before being loaded onboard the aircraft. 

The organisation may not have had any obligations for their pilots to perform such computations, the final study claims. Nevertheless, a number of indications point to the company's general lack of compliance with regulations.

The FAA reported numerous administrative actions against Blackhawk, three for technical violations and one for a maintenance-related problem, even though there were no reports of enforcement action. The company's disregard for manufacturer, FAA, and other maintenance and other programs was mentioned in a letter from April 2000.

People frequently bring up Cessna's pilot as well. He was not only willing to try to fly what was probably an overweight aircraft, but he also lacked the necessary qualifications. The pilot's logbook had fake qualifications as well as false experience. 

Additionally, as stated in the final report, generally, the "pilot may not have followed normal operating procedures as per the Cessna 402B Pilot Operating Handbook Checklist."

The forensic report was of comparable importance. The major cocaine metabolite, benzoylecgonine, and ethanol were detected in the pilot's body fluids and stomach contents. Even though the possibility of false positives exists and the presence of residues of these substances does not imply that the pilot's cognitive function was impaired at the time, the final report emphasizes this.

The Cessna's discovery amid the wreckage was another intriguing development. The lift was fully nose-down, the rudder input was full to the left, and the aileron input was fully to the right. Given that this occurred just seconds after taking flight, the final report describes this as the control surfaces being "out of normal range for takeoff."

 SUPPORT INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM

Your assistance enables us to produce high-quality, independent, open, and transparent media. No matter how little, every reader's contribution is vital for the future Thanks.

EU Plane Spotters brings you high-quality aviation videos and LIVE steam. visit our Social media platforms Youtube, Facebook , Instagram, Twitter & Tik Tok for more content.