Two perish in cargo plane crash off Dutch St Maarten

Last Updated on Thursday, 30 October 2014, 23:56 by GxMedia

The pilot’s body shortly after it was off-loaded from boat (Daily Herald St Maarten photo)

The pilot and co-pilot of a cargo plane, contracted by Fedex, died when the aircraft plunged into the Caribbean Sea off  Dutch St. Maarten.

Acting Director of the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard, Wendell Thode told Caribbean News Desk that the body of the 59-year old German pilot was recovered Wednesday night about four hours after the twin-engine SH-36 plane went down. He said that the Search and Rescue teams on Thursday called off the search because they believed that the American co-pilot died and his body might still be in the submerged aircraft.

Thode said that about 6:55 PM Wednesday, the Coast Guard was informed by Air Traffic Controllers at the Princess Julianna International Airport that the plane went down one minute after take-off to return to Puerto Rico.

He said that immediately private boat owners, the Coast Guard, a cruise-ship and a LIAT plane assisted in providing the coordinates of the crash-site.

Immediately rescuers rushed to the area, Thode said, where debris was seen afloat. The pilot’s body was located about four hours later and taken to a mortuary.