ROSEAU, Dominica, Apr 18, CMC – The pilot of a Cessna aircraft died Thursday after his plane crashed in a wooded area, 4.5 miles west of the Douglas-Charles Airport, the authorities here have confirmed.
They said the pilot, whose name or nationality had not been disclosed, was the lone occupant of the plane that was on a flight between the French islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe when it disappeared six miles off the airport.
Photographers had accompanied a rescue team that found the plane in the Syndicated area, nestled on the foothills of Dominica’s tallest mountain, Morne Diablotin.
The chief executive officer of the Dominica Air and Seaport Authority (DASPA), Benoit Bardouille, had earlier confirmed that French authorities had sought Dominica’s help in locating the plane when it disappeared on Thursday morning at 8.20 am (local time).
Initial media reports had said there were at least four people on board the private Cessna plane, but Bardouille, speaking on the state-owned DBS radio, said the pilot was the lone occupant of the aircraft.
Last week, a Sky High Aviation Services Jetstream 41 aircraft crash landed at the Douglas-Charles Airport.The Dominican Republic-based aircraft had 32 people on board including three crew members. There were no fatalities.
CMC/gr/ir/2019