Piper PA23 accident near San Juan, PR
On June 3, 2017, a Piper PA23 (airplane) was involved in an accident near San Juan, PR. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- June 3, 2017
- Place
- San Juan, PR
- Aircraft
- Piper PA23 · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 2 serious, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 18.460°N, 65.973°W
- NTSB ID
- 20170603X52449
Official records · ERA17FA195
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- ATC Transcript: Transcript (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn June 3, 2017, about 1417 Atlantic standard time, a Piper PA-23-250, N21WW, impacted water and a reef shortly after takeoff from Luis Munoz Marin International Airport (TJSJ), San Juan, Puerto Rico. The commercial pilot sustained minor injuries, two passengers were seriously injured, and one passenger was fatally injured. The airplane was destroyed. The flight was being operated by Air America, Inc., as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 135 on-demand air taxi flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the planned flight to Benjamin Rivera Noriega Airport (TJCP), Isla de Culebra, Puerto Rico. According to air traffic control (ATC) information provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the flight was cleared for an intersection takeoff on runway 8 from taxiway S5. Runway 8 was 10,400 ft long, and the intersection takeoff at S5 allowed about half of the runway length for takeoff. At 1414:09, the pilot contacted ATC and stated that he was ready for takeoff. The tower controller replied that there was about 30 seconds left of a wake turbulence delay due to an Embraer 190 that had departed about 2 minutes 30 seconds earlier. The pilot waived the delay, and the tower controller cleared the flight for takeoff at 1414:26. At 1416:33, the tower controller instructed the pilot to contact departure control; however, the pilot stated that he was "unable" and was returning to the airport. At 1416:46, the pilot stated, "we are trying hard we lost power on an engine we're trying to go
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed, properly correct for left yaw, and his exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during initial climb, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent uncontrolled descent into water.
More accidents in PR
- Cessna 206H, Feb 8, 2009
- Cessna A185F, Jul 1, 2011
- Cessna 441, Jan 5, 2002
- Rockwell International 690B, Dec 3, 2008
- Piper PA23, Jun 2, 2020
Browse: Puerto Rico · Piper 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.
