Piper PA-32-260 accident near Saba Island, Nt, February 26, 1988
On February 26, 1988 at about 3:25 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-260, registered N419PH, was destroyed in an accident near Saba Island. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 26, 1988 · about 3:25 pm local time
- Place
- Saba Island, NT
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-260 · all PA-32-260s on the register
- Registration
- N419PH · registry record
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
On February 26, 1988, approximately 1125 AST, a Piper PA-32-260, N419PH, ditched in the ocean near Saba Island, Netherlands Antilles, following a loss of power. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a VFR flight plan was filed for the non-scheduled international cargo flight.. The airplane was destroyed and the pilot, who was the sole occupant, was not injured. The flight originated in St. Croix, Virgin Islands, and was enroute to Sint Eustatius, Netherlands Antilles. No additional information is available.
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
Pilot
- Medical certificate: Unknown
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Seats: 0
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: (type not recorded); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
- Operator: Trans Island Air Cargo
The flight
- Departed from: MISX St. Croix
- Destination: MACE Sint Eustatius OF
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Wind: from 220° at 7 knots
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:00 am from MKPK
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket 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.