Spectacular approaches.
For a picture, goto <a href="http://www.bea-fr.org/anglaise/rapports/rap.htm" target="_blank">http://www.bea-fr.org/anglaise/rapports/rap.htm</A> and select Aircraft: DHC 6, Site: Saint Barthelemy and View. This is a preliminary report (in French only) of a Twin Otter crash in 2001. There is a photo in section 10 of the report showing a Twin Otter on short final after having crossed the ridge (Col de la Tourmente) which obstructs the approach to Runway 10 (640 metres long - LDA 515 metres).
The report points out that the approach path clears the hill by less than 30 ft. The approaches I observed seemed to consist of a normal approach path aiming at the lowest part of the ridge (where a road passes over it, just to make things more interesting), followed by a dive at the runway.
The report also points out that the AFIS agent at the airport cannot see approaching aircraft until they are past the ridge on short final. Pilots must have a special checkout and very interestingly, in view of some recent threads on PPRuNe, the local rules include the mandatory use of English for communication when there is a non-Francophone pilot in the circuit. Operations are Day VFR only.
The report is preliminary only and does not speculate on the cause of the accident.