Piper PA-18 accident near San Juan, Puerto Rico, September 12, 2004
On September 12, 2004 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-18, registered N5546Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near San Juan, Puerto Rico (Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to apply carburetor heat which resulted in carburetor ice and the subsequent loss of engine power. A factor was weather conditions favorable for carburetor ice.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 12, 2004 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- San Juan, Puerto Rico · Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18 · all PA-18s on the register
- Registration
- N5546Z · registry record · serial 18-7848
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot completed banner tow operations and made a left climbing turn. During the climb the airplane lost engine power. The pilot was unsuccessful in restoring the engine power. The pilot maneuvered the airplane to the right towards the approach end of runway 27. The airplane, on a 120-degree magnetic heading, landed across the runway surface, rolled into the grass and collided with a fence. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane prior to the accident. Examination of the airplane revealed the wings detached, the main landing gear collapsed and damage to the engine and propeller. The examination further showed that the fuel tanks were breached but more than 12 gallons of fuel was recovered from the left tank. The examination of the engine failed to disclose anomalies. The pilot did not report using carburetor heat during the flight. The weather conditions at the time of the accident were wind 360-degrees at 8 knots, visibility 10 miles, temperature 31-degrees Celsius and dewpoint 26-degrees Celsius. The review of the icing probability curves disclose conditions favorable for the formation of carburetor ice.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,500 hours in all; 5,000 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TJIG San Juan PR at 4:45 pm
- Destination: TJIG San Juan PR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft; scat at 3,800 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 79°F (26°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 5:56 pm from TJSJ, 5 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.