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On Thursday, January 4, 2024, at around 12:11 p.m., a small aircraft that had just taken off from the JF Mitchell crashed into the sea, tragically striking the Grenadine island of Bequia.
Tragically, the private aircraft registered in the United States, carrying two children, and four other individuals, crashed shortly after takeoff. All those on board lost their lives in the tragic crash. A fixed-wing, single-engine aircraft crashed off the shore of La Pompe, halfway between the tiny island of Petit Nevis and Bequia.
Along with the pilot, Robert Sachs, the other passengers who died were Christian Klepser, 51, and his two children, Madita Klepser, 10, and Annik Klepser, 12, who were from the United States.
ECCAA launched an investigation as all four passengers died in the Bequia plane crash
According to the police, on January 4, 2023, the Royal St. Vincent and the Grenadines Police Force (RSVGPF) confirmed that a Bellanca 17-30A Super Viking had taken off earlier that day from J.F. Mitchell Airport (BQU), Bequia. However, it encountered technical issues, which caused the plane to crash into the sea near the island's coast.
Three US citizens from the same family who were the passengers, died in the accident, according to the St. Vincent Times.
Hewanorra International Airport (UVF) in St. Lucia was to be the aircraft's landing spot. The flight from Bequia, a province in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, took about thirty minutes.
It is believed that the four passengers, including two adults and two children, were leaving the island after spending some time on their vacation in Bequia. On January 4, just after noon, the aircraft took off from Bequia and headed for Hewanorra Airport in St. Lucia.
Local fishermen, scuba divers, and the coast guard of the island hurried to the area to assist with the crash. They found the airplane, which had submerged in water around 70 feet deep.
According to an aviation expert, the aircraft appeared to have had a stall just after takeoff.
It is reported that Pilot Sachs, who runs a dive shop on Bequia, radioed the control tower to say he was having some kind of trouble and was heading back to the airport. Since then, there has been no communication with the aircraft. Shortly after that, word got to the airport authorities that locals had witnessed a small plane falling into the sea.
Searchlight was informed that according to reports, Shamdel Hanson and Maclean Snagg, two divers, found the dead bodies. As per a resident of Paget Farm, which is the neighborhood nearest to the crash site, other locals assisted in securing the bodies as they awaited the arrival of the SVG Coast Guard, who had been called to the scene.
According to Aero Time, a statement from the local police read,
"The RSVGPF expresses condolences to all who are negatively affected by this tragic incident. The RSVGPF will update the public as more information is gathered. Investigation into the matter continues."
Following their recovery from the Bellanca Viking, all four bodies were transported to the Kingstown Mortuary on St. Vincent. With the bodies recovered, the Coast Guard then carried the deceased to the mainland.
The incident is currently being investigated by the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority (ECCAA).
