[1]: 1 A passenger had initially booked the flight for 13 friends and colleagues[5][6] on the airline's much smaller Piper Navajo, paying $400 for the trip.

Maintenance determined that mud dauber nests were blocking the pitot tube openings for the plane's pitot-static system (which is used to measure airspeed).

[4] At 22:43 a United States Coast Guard C-131 reached the area and spotted debris and bodies floating in the water.

[5] Eyewitness accounts state that the plane was flying low and plunged into the ocean shortly after passing through a cloud.

Wreckage from the aircraft was not recovered, except for seat cushions and plywood bulkheads found floating near the accident site.

Such factors included "known thunderstorm activities and turbulence, preexisting discrepancies in the pitot-static system of the aircraft and their effect on the reliability of the flight instruments, and lack of operational control exercised by the airline's management."

The Director of Operations assured the replacement pilot that the flight was to be conducted under Part 91[c] and he was not required to have a current 6-month instrument check.

The chief mechanic, Sam DeThomas, used a small screwdriver and a coat hanger instead of the required procedure to remove the mud dauber nest.

DeThomas said the reason he didn't follow the proper procedure (which required disconnecting instruments from the panel and blowing compressed air through the pitot tubes) was passenger impatience.

[12] However, in its final report, the NTSB noted "Sabotage, or foul play, has been discounted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and has not been considered in this evaluation".

"[15][16] This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Transportation Safety Board.