Incident Overview

Date: Saturday 23 January 2021
Aircraft Type: North American Rockwell Sabreliner 60
Owner/operator: Aviacion Ejecutiva del Bajio
Registration Number: XB-JMR
Location: Rocky Point, Clarendon – ÿ Jamaica
Phase of Flight: Landing
Status: Substantial, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Component Affected: Aircraft TransponderAircraft Transponder
Investigating Agency: JCAAJCAA
Category: Accident
A Sabreliner 60, registration XB-JMR, departed Guadalajara, Mexico, on a domestic flight plan to Quer‚taro, with two pilots. The aircraft lost altitude and disappeared off Mexican radar approximately 18:14 local time. The crew reported to Air Traffic Control at 10,000 feet, 14 miles south of Jamaica, and requested an emergency landing. The aircraft then circled the Portland Cottage area in Clarendon, squawking the Transponder code A1327, climbing out of 17,000 feet at 18:20 local. Search and Rescue was initiated by the Jamaica Defence Force at 18:22. The aircraft disappeared from radar at 18:34, with the transponder potentially being turned off due to crew action. The aircraft impacted the shoreline southeast of the White Sand Beach area of Rocky Point in Clarendon. Suspicion of drug transport was noted.A Sabreliner 60, registration XB-JMR, departed Guadalajara, Mexico, on a domestic flight plan to Quer‚taro, with two pilots. The aircraft lost altitude and disappeared off Mexican radar approximately 18:14 local time. The crew reported to Air Traffic Control at 10,000 feet, 14 miles south of Jamaica, and requested an emergency landing. The aircraft then circled the Portland Cottage area in Clarendon, squawking the Transponder code A1327, climbing out of 17,000 feet at 18:20 local. Search and Rescue was initiated by the Jamaica Defence Force at 18:22. The aircraft disappeared from radar at 18:34, with the transponder potentially being turned off due to crew action. The aircraft impacted the shoreline southeast of the White Sand Beach area of Rocky Point in Clarendon. Suspicion of drug transport was noted.

Description

The Sabreliner 60 with registration XB-JMR departed Guadalajara, Mexico, on a domestic flight plan with two pilots on board for Quer‚taro in. On reaching a cruising altitude of 20,000 feet the crew changed course and shortly after disappeared off Mexican Radar. Mexican Authorities suspect the transponder was turned off by the crew. The aircraft entered the Kingston Flight Information Region (KIN FIR) without a filed flight plan, south of Jamaica and at approximately 18:14 local the crew declared an emergency. The crew reported to Air Traffic Control that they were at 10,000 feet and 14 miles from land and on a heading of 055 degrees. The crew requested instructions to land at the nearest airport due to one engine shut down. The aircraft was observed on radar heading in a north-east direction in the vicinity of the Vernamfield area then changed direction to a southeast heading. The aircraft began circling the Portland Cottage area in Clarendon, ‘squawking’ Transponder code A1327 and climbing out of 17,000 feet at 18:20 local. Search and Rescue was initiated with the Jamaica Defence Force at 18:22. On reaching 18,000 feet the aircraft disappeared from radar at 18:34 the transponder was possibly turned off by the crew. The aircraft impacted the shoreline southeast of the White Sand Beach area of Rocky Point in Clarendon. As seats were removed, there is a suspicion of drugs transport. The occupants fled the scene.

Source of Information

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latestnews/Small_airplane_crashes_in_Clarendon, http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20210123/small-plane-crashes-rocky-point-clarendon, https://www.jcaa.gov.jm/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Occurence-Rept-XB-JMR0001..pdfhttp://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latestnews/Small_airplane_crashes_in_Clarendon, http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20210123/small-plane-crashes-rocky-point-clarendon, https://www.jcaa.gov.jm/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Occurence-Rept-XB-JMR0001..pdf

Primary Cause

Possible crew error or malfunction leading to loss of altitude and disappearance.Possible crew error or malfunction leading to loss of altitude and disappearance.

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