Piper PA23 accident near Saint François, Gp, February 22, 2016
On February 22, 2016 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Piper PA23, registered N539EG, was destroyed in an accident during initial climb near Saint François. It was a positioning flight under non-U.S. private rules. No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 22, 2016 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Saint François, Guadeloupe · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Piper PA23 250 · all PA23s on the register
- Registration
- N539EG · no longer on the register · serial 277854054
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning flight · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On February 22, 2016, a Piper PA-23-250 airplane, N539EG, sank after ditching near the Saint François Airport (TFFC), Saint François, Guadeloupe (France). The pilot was not injured.This investigation is under the jurisdiction and control of the French government. Any further information may be obtained from: Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses (BEA) Telephone: +33 1 49 92 72 00 Facsimile : +33 1 49 92 72 03 Web: www.bea.aero This report is for informational purposes only and contains only information released by, or obtained from, the French Bureau d'Enquêtes et d'Analyses.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Flight control sys malf/fail during initial climb defining event
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1:; 0 hours total
- Engine 2:; 0 hours total
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.