Chalk's Ocean Airways Flight 101
Chalk's Ocean Airways Flight 101 was an aircraft crash that occurred off Miami Beach, Florida, in the United States on December 19, 2005. All 18 passengers and the 2 crew members on board the 1947 Grumman G-73T Turbine Mallard died in the crash, which was attributed to metal fatigue on the starboard wing resulting in separation of the wing from the fuselage. It was the only fatal passenger incident for Chalk's Ocean Airways. Accident details On December 19, 2005, Chalk's Ocean Airways Flight 101 from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States to Bimini, Bahamas, crashed off Miami Beach, Florida, shortly after takeoff from an unscheduled stop at the Miami Seaplane Base. Witnesses saw white smoke billowing from the aircraft before the right wing ripped off and the aircraft plunged into the ocean. The aircraft crashed and sank in Government Cut channel, a waterway that connects the Port of Miami with the Atlantic Ocean. Government Cut was closed to shipping until 6:30 p.m. on December 20, stranding at least three cruise ships. The aircraft was a 58-year-old Grumman G-73T Turbine Mallard manufactured in 1947. The captain was Michele Marks, 37, of Boynton Beach, Florida. Marks had been promoted to captain a year