Pilot chose to fly during powerful lightning storm, did not make it home

A Britten-Normal Islander (photo below), property of Air Flamenco out of San Juan (PR), disappeared on Wednesday evening during a trip from Mayaguez to San Juan's Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport (TJIG). On Thursday morning, search parties began to find pieces of the aircraft and the luggage it was carrying, but not the pilot. There were no other passengers on the flight, which was the return leg of what originated as a mail flight.

Portions of the wreckage of the plane were found floating off the city of Manati, on the north coast of the island, by local authorities and US Coast Guard search and rescue crews. Local television showed pictures of a portion of the aircraft's landing gear with its two tires and associated hardware still attached, floaing near the famous surfing beach locally known as "Los Tubos," (The Tubes).

Gustavo Velez, spokesperson for Air Flamenco, a local part 135 firm, said that they had been told by authorities that the aircraft is sitting some 300 feet below the surface. The pilot, Gamalier Rivera Rivera, 28, has not yet been found, but Ports Authority Director Miguel Soto Lacourt expressed hope that he could be found alive if he survived the crash. There were unconfirmed reports that a wounded person had been found at one of the area beaches, but calls to hospitals did not uncover any additional information at press time.

Soto Lacourt added the weather in the local area at the time of the flight was "very bad, with strong wind gusts, thunder and lightning." The storm was visible from most of the northern side of the island, with huge lightning bolts streaking clear across the western sky. An eyewitness said that during one of the lightning bolt flashes, he saw an aircraft that fit the description of the Islander flying very low around hills in the Manati area.

Because pieces of the landing gear were recovered from the water, authorities are speculating that Rivera Rivera may have attempted a water ditching.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 902GD        Make/Model: BN2P      Description: BN-2, BN-2A/B ISLANDER, DEFENDER, MARITI
  Date: 09/29/2004     Time: 2245

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: None     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
  City: VEGA BAJA                   State:      Country: PR

DESCRIPTION
  FLAMENCO, N902GD, A BRITTEN-NORMAN BN-2A-27 ACFT, CRASHED NEAR TORTUGUERO
  LAGOON UNDER UNKNOWN CIRCUMSTANCES, ACFT WAS DESTROYED, VEGA BAJA, PUERTO
  RICO

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   0
                 # Crew:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   Y
                 # Pass:   0     Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   Y
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: TJBQ 292355Z 06008KT 3SM SHRA OVC010 24/22 A2992                           
                                                                                    
OTHER DATA
  Activity: Business      Phase: Unknown      Operation: Air Taxi (On Demand)

  Departed: MAYAGUEZ, PR                Dep Date: 09/20/2004   Dep. Time: 2245
  Destination: SAN JUAN, PR             Flt Plan: UNK          Wx Briefing: U
  Last Radio Cont: UNK
  Last Clearance: UNK

  FAA FSDO: SAN JUAN, PR  (SO21)                  Entry date: 10/01/2004

FMI: www.airflamenco.net