At Least 19 Die in Plane Crash Off Miami Beach

A Bahamas-bound seaplane carrying 20 people crashed in the water near South Beach shortly after takeoff Monday, killing at least 19, authorities said.

Some witnesses reported that a powerful explosion blew a wing off the twin-engine Grumman G-73T Turbine Mallard, which was operated by Chalk’s Ocean Airways.

“We were sitting in the sand,” said Sergio Gramarra, 16, who was spending the afternoon at South Beach. “It looked like the cabin exploded. I thought that it was, like, a stunt for a movie.”

Vincent Dilella, 19, said flames shot from the left wing. “Then

Miami Beach Fire Chief Floyd Jordan said that lifeguards, using surfboards and a jet ski, raced to the mouth of Government Cut, the shipping channel that connects the Port of Miami with the Atlantic, after the plane went down about 2:40 p.m.

“Our units arrived at the scene in a little over two minutes,” Jordan said. “We were unable to find anyone that had survived.”

Against a backdrop of high-rise beachfront condominiums, divers and helicopter crews searched near a long rock jetty for survivors.

But soon Coast Guardsmen and emergency workers in protective clothing were bringing victims to shore in black body bags. Many of them were recovered from the fuselage, which Jordan said was lying largely intact below the surface.

Local divers said the depth in the crash site area is about 20 feet.

The propeller-driven plane had been en route to the island of Bimini, a favorite destination of yachters and deep-sea fishermen. Officials said there were two crew members and 18 passengers, including three infants, on board.

“It is too early to say what caused the accident,” said Laura Brown, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration in Washington. “Our investigators are going down there, and will start work tomorrow.”

The crash occurred on an overcast afternoon when no lightning or storms were reported. FBI officials said agents would be assisting in the accident investigation because of the reports of an on-board explosion, although there were no immediate signs of terrorism or other criminal intent.

An amateur video broadcast on CNN showed the 1940s-era plane, trailed by a fiery object and think black smoke, slamming into the water.

One surfer said the low-flying plane passed over her head before hitting the water on the south side of the jetty.

“Its wings were at an angle, and it made a loud screeching whine,” said the Miami woman, who gave her name only as Terry. “We thought it was coming down right on top of us.”

Roger Nair, general manager of Chalk’s Ocean Airways, said the accident was the company’s first involving passenger fatalities since it was founded in 1919 by Arthur B. Chalk, a barnstorming pilot from Paducah, Ky.

In 1994, a Chalk’s seaplane crashed near Key West, Fla., killing two pilots. In that incident, the National Transportation Safety Board found that the plane’s hull had developed a leak, weighing down the tail with water. The pilots had failed to follow a checklist, which calls for the bilge pumps to be turned on, before takeoff, the NTSB concluded.

According to Chalk’s website, its fleet of Grumman G-73T Turbine Mallards has been “undergoing an extensive refurbishment program which includes complete mechanical overhaul and cosmetic renovation, in addition to all new interior appointments.”

The aircraft, which has pontoon floats under its wings, is powered by two Pratt & Whitney-Canada PT-6 turboprop engines and can carry 17 adult passengers at a cruising speed of 200 mph, Chalk’s said.

The planes can operate from water or land airports, and Chalk’s Miami flights depart from the same deep-water channel and turning basin used by cruise ships and freighters at the Port of Miami. The aircraft made occasional appearances on the TV series “Miami Vice.”

During Prohibition, according to Chalk’s, rum-running operations based in the Bahamas provided it with “bountiful business,” with the airline selling tickets to bootleggers and the lawmen chasing them. A Chalk’s candidate for its most famous frequent flier: Ernest Hemingway, a fan of big-game fishing who often took its flights to Bimini.

Times researcher Jenny Jarvie in Atlanta contributed to this report.