Piper PA-34-200 accident near Fajardo, Puerto Rico, July 6, 1997
On July 6, 1997 at about 12:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-34-200, registered N4515T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fajardo, Puerto Rico (Fajardo Regional airport). It was a personal 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
a malfunction (jamming) of the elevator flight control system for undetermined reason(s).
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 6, 1997 · about 12:30 pm local time
- Place
- Fajardo, Puerto Rico · Fajardo Regional
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-200 · all PA-34-200s on the register
- Registration
- N4515T · registry record · serial 34-7250120
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he had been doing touch-and-go landings for an hour when he experienced a loss of elevator control during climbout. He said that the airplane had climbed to 400 feet when the control yoke stuck. Efforts, to regain control of the airplane failed. After transmitting several 'may day' calls, the pilot prepared the airplane for ditching. The airplane ditched in about 130 feet of water 200 meters east of the Fajardo shoreline. The airplane was not recovered for examination. The pilot did not report any previous flight control problems with the airplane.
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; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 548 hours in all; 154 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 548 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1E6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X95 at 11:30 am
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,800 ft; scat at 2,600 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:27 am from X95, 3 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.