From Caribbean360

NASSAU, Bahamas, Wednesday November 26, 2014, CMC – The weather may have played a part in the crash of a Learjet aircraft that claimed the lives of renowned Bible teacher, author and leader of Bahamas Faith Ministries Dr. Myles Munroe, and members of his family, according to the report of a preliminary investigation released here.

All nine people, including Munroe’s wife and daughter, were killed when the aircraft en route from the capital, clipped the side of a crane at the Shipyard and “exploded on impact”.

The Department of Civil Aviation, which said it is now in possession of the preliminary report noted that prior to the crash, the “aircraft made contact with Freeport ATC as required and was given the current weather conditions and cleared for the instrument ILS z 06 Approach.

“The aircraft was unable to land on first attempt, due to heavy rain showers and reduced visibility. The crew executed a missed approach procedure and continued outbound and entered the published holding pattern at 2,000 feet.

“Sometime after entering the holding pattern, ATC reported the weather as improving and thus a second ILS z 06 approach was requested by the crew and granted by ATC. During the return for the second instrument approach, ATC reported the weather as again deteriorating due to rain and haze.”

The report noted that while attempting to find the runway visually during the second approach, the aircraft descended and subsequently struck a towering crane at the Grand Bahama Shipyard.

“The impact occurred with two support beams above the crane operator’s cab approximately 115 feet mean sea level (MSL),” the report noted, stating after losing the outboard portion of the right wing and fuel tank, as a result of the impact, “the aircraft continued its downward, uncontrolled descent, crashing inverted into a mound of garbage at the City Services Limited, a garbage and metal recycling plant which is located adjacent to the Grand Bahama Shipyard”.

The report said the aircraft finally came to a stop after impact with a metal generator-housing unit located at the recycling plant.

The preliminary report noted that the Bahamas Area Forecast published on November 9 by the Bahamas Meteorological Department indicating that for the Northwest Bahamas there was a frontal boundary over the northwest Bahamas and lower, moving over the northern Bahamas

“Significant weather for all areas indicated a few scattered, scattered to occasional and broken clouds could be expected with ranges from 1,500 feet to tops above 18,000 feet. Towering cumulus clouds and isolated showers with chances of isolated thundershowers were forecasted with reduced visibility and ceilings below 1,500 feet. The report indicated a possibility of heavy showers and moderate to severe turbulence in the vicinity of the towering cumulus clouds”.

The Department of Civil Aviation said the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and digital electronic engine control monitors have been sent to the National Transportation Safety Board in Washington DC and Honeywell Int’l in Wichita Kansas.

The Air Accident Investigation & Prevention Unit of the Bahamas Civil Aviation Department is conducting the investigation with assistance from the NTSB, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) USA and Bombardier, (Canada) manufacturer of the aircraft.

IMAGE: BIBLE TEACHER, AUTHOR AND LEADER OF BAHAMAS FAITH MINISTRIES DR. MYLES MUNROE

For more on this story go to: http://www.caribbean360.com/news/weather-possibly-played-role-in-crash-that-killed-pastor-eight-others-report#ixzz3KCQZUS11

See iNews Cayman related stories:

November 9 2014 “Bahamas Faith Ministries leader Myles Munroe and wife killed in plane crash” at: http://www.ieyenews.com/wordpress/bahamas-faith-ministries-leader-myles-munroe-and-wife-killed-in-plane-crash/

Published November 11 2014 Under iNews Briefs “’A loss to Caribbean’” at: http://www.ieyenews.com/wordpress/inews-briefs-239/