Cessna 404 accident near Ponce, Puerto Rico, April 7, 2010
On April 7, 2010 at about 1:15 pm local time, a Cessna 404, registered N6035, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Ponce, Puerto Rico (Mercedita Airport). It was a public-use flight under public-use (government) rules. No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A loss of power to the right engine for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 7, 2010 · about 1:15 pm local time
- Place
- Ponce, Puerto Rico · Mercedita Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 404 · all 404s on the register
- Registration
- N6035 · no longer on the register · serial 404-0843
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Public-use flight · public-use (government) rules
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Shortly after takeoff, about 200 feet above ground level, the right engine surged and lost power, accompanied by the sound of an explosion. The pilot feathered the right propeller and advanced the throttle on the left engine. The pilot attempted to continue the climb; however, the airplane began to lose altitude. The pilot elected to land straight ahead in a grassy area beyond the departure end of the runway. The airplane touched down past the runway end and collided with a perimeter fence, resulting in structural damage to the wings and fuselage. A postaccident examination by Federal Aviation Administration inspectors revealed that there was adequate fuel on board for the flight. The engines were removed and disassembled and the engine components were tested; no anomalies were found.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (partial) during initial climb defining event
- Engine shutdown during initial climb
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,574 hours in all; 934 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 2,813 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 1, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 905 hours in all; 5 in the last 30 days; 768 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Unknown (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,739 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 28, 2010; 95 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,400 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Teledyne Continental Motors GTSIO520M (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TJPS Ponce PR
- Destination: TJPS Ponce PR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 12, 6,904 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:50 pm from TJPS, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA10TA215.