Piper PA-23-250 accident near Borinquen, Puerto Rico, June 23, 2006
On June 23, 2006 at about 5:12 pm local time, a Piper PA-23-250, registered N75JF, was destroyed in an accident near Borinquen, Puerto Rico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Fuel starvation/exhaustion for an undetermined reason during cruise flight, which resulted in a complete loss of engine power to both engines and a ditching in the ocean.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 23, 2006 · about 5:12 pm local time
- Place
- Borinquen, Puerto Rico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-250 · all PA-23-250s on the register
- Registration
- N75JF · no longer on the register · serial 27-7554168
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airline transport certificated pilot purchased the twin engine airplane about two days before the flight. He indicated that the airplane had a fuel capacity of 192 gallons, and had an endurance of 7.5 to 8 hours. He departed on a Title 14, CFR Part 91 cross-country flight for an airport that was about 908 miles away. The airplane was equipped with auxiliary wingtip fuel tanks, and the pilot said the airplane consumed about 23 gallons of fuel per hour. Five hours and 12 minutes after takeoff, after consuming an estimated 122 gallons, the pilot said that the main fuel tanks were dry, and he was trying to draw fuel from the auxiliary tanks without success. He said the fuel gauges for the auxiliary tanks were indicating 1/4 full, but both engines were surging. He stated that there still should have been about 50 gallons of fuel in the airplane's wingtip tanks, and he tried every fuel tank and cross-feed combination, but the engines lost power, and he ditched the airplane about 829 miles from his departure point. The airplane sank in deep water, and was not recovered.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 18,650 hours in all; 2,500 in this make and model; 200 in the last 90 days; 75 in the last 30 days; 10,000 as pilot in command; 2,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2006
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KFXE Ft. Lauderdale FL at 12:00 pm
- Destination: TIST St. Thomas
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from TJBQ, 33 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.