At 11 o’clock sharp all beams and air bags were attached and the Fokker Fairchild 27 was able to be lifted from the bottom and led into the water. It took less than 2 minutes for the plane to touch the surface of the water. Afterwards it was towed by a fishing boat ~1 kilometre to the south.

Now it was time to cast off! Slowly and carefully the airbags were deflated. Monitored by security, divers the plane glided in slow-motion towards its last resting-place. At 12:47 it touched the ground at approximately 50ft (17m).

The Fokker Fairchild 27 once flew regularly for Antillean Airlines as an island hopper between the ABC Islands, Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao, and afterward came to rest at the premises of Curacao’s International Airport Hato. In 2006 the Fire Department donated the airplane to All West Apartments & Diving and Ocean Encounters West, setting the owner of All West Apartments, Louis Lopez Ramirez, running about in order to secure all the needed papers and permissions for the sinking of the plane.

In cooperation with Reef Care and Carmabi (foundations for coral reef protection and preservation) the right spot was chosen. In order to meet full security requirements, it was necessary to displace the interior (seats, instruments, etc.) except the cockpit instrument frames. In November 2006 the plane had already been transported from the Airport Hato to the West end of the island by Miles Tracking in cooperation with the phone company UTS and Aqualectra and the traffic
department of the Curacao Police. The Fokker measured 30m length and 20m width. For the transportation itself, it was necessary to cut the top part of the tail and the wings to manage the 50 km to Watamula. After the transportation the environmental department stopped the work and demanded the request of a permit from them.

However, on February 24 the time finally arrived. A team of experienced marine divers from DDC (Donderdadavond Duikclub Curacao – Thursday Evening Dive Club) and Curacao Industrial Divers accompanied the Fokker down to 50ft (17m). Currently the Curacao Industrial Divers are still mooring the plane to guarantee the divers safety. By the beginning of March the airplane wreck will have a place on the regular boat schedule of the dive center Ocean Encounters West at Playa Kalki. Everybody who wants to dive inside the Fokker Fairchild 27 can do so without any risk; both front and back cargo doors are open. Watamula, the most northern dive spot of Curacao, is not dive-able from shore. Beginners are also most welcome to dive the wreck under supervision from the professional staff of Ocean Encounters West.

This is a project of All West Apartments & Diving and Ocean Encounters West.

Special thanks go to the sponsors: Miles Tracking, DDC and Curacao Industrial Divers.

For further information: [1] www.allwestcuracao.com or [2] info@allwestcuracao.com