Cessna 501 accident near Berry Island, Bf, June 11, 1997
On June 11, 1997 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Cessna 501, registered N1AT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Berry Island. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 8 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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
- June 11, 1997 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Berry Island, Burkina Faso
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 8 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 501 · all 501s on the register
- Registration
- N1AT · registry record
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Landing gear: fixed
- Not recorded
- Operator: Betaco, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: FLL Ft. Lauderdlale FL
- Destination: MYBC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: not reported
- Wind: from 060° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:00 pm from MYG
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 7 |
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.