
On Thursday, August 24, 2023, an Air Antilles plane on a scheduled flight slammed into a parked helicopter on the St. Barts airport runway just before noon local time. According to reports, the Twin Otter aircraft had flown from Guadeloupe. It veered off the runway, onto the apron, and hit the helicopter. Both aircraft sustained significant damage.
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The Twin Otter DHC-6-400 collided with a parked helicopter while taxiing at Saint Barthelemy Airport. The visibility was very good when the Air Antilles aircraft (reg. F-OMYS) was taxiing. Flight #3S722 arrived from Pointe-a-Pitre and landed on runway 27 at St. Jean, Saint Barthelemy at 11:40 local time.
ATC allowed the crew to taxi to the terminal but it looks like the pilots of the Twin Otter had lost control and the aircraft was partially in the grass when it continued straight forward until the collision.
RCI.FM quoted Air Antilles saying that six passengers and two crew members were on board the plane. The online publication reported that one woman passenger sustained minor injuries, whereas no one was on board the helicopter. The authorities temporarily closed the airport runway, later reopened it, and launched an investigation into the accident.