Cessna 441 accident near Rio Grande, PR
On January 5, 2002, a Cessna 441 (airplane) was involved in an accident near Rio Grande, PR. 5 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- January 5, 2002
- Place
- Rio Grande, PR
- Aircraft
- Cessna 441 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 5 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 18.318°N, 65.767°W
- NTSB ID
- 20020108X00044
Official records · ATL02FA031
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On January 5, 2002, about 1423 Atlantic Standard Time, a Cessna 441, N441AW, registered to Alexander Leasing LLC, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight, crashed on El Yunque Mountain located in the vicinity of Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire. The commercial pilot and four passengers were fatally injured. The flight was estimated to have departed from Culebra, Puerto Rico, at about 1400. A review of radio communication between San Juan Center Radar Approach Control East Control, and the pilot, revealed that contact was established about 10 miles east of Fajardo, Puerto Rico, at 1418:09. The pilot was given a transponder code, 0477, and stated that his destination was San Juan International Airport. At 14:19:54, radar contact was established three miles east of Fajardo Airport. The pilot was instructed to enter a right downwind for runway 10 south of plaza Carolina. The controller provided the pilot with the current automatic terminal information for San Juan and requested his altitude. The pilot reported that he was at 1,600 feet and would stay south at plaza Carolina. At 1420:19, the controller asked the pilot what type of Cessna he was, and the pilot stated that he was a Cessna 441. The controller replied at 1420:29, "rodger uh that's a uh golden eagle." The pilot replied, "no sir it is a Cessna conquest one alpha whiskey." There were no other recorded communications received from the pilot. At 1422:25, the controller
Probable cause
The pilot continued visual flight flight into instrument flight conditions resulting in an in-flight collision with terrain. Low clouds were a factor.
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Browse: Puerto Rico · Cessna aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
