Cessna 172P accident near Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, April 1, 2011
On April 1, 2011 at about 8:35 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N98FR, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Vega Baja, Puerto Rico (Camp Tortuguero (Abandoned) airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the No. 2 cylinder exhaust valve resulting in a loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 1, 2011 · about 8:35 pm local time
- Place
- Vega Baja, Puerto Rico · Camp Tortuguero (Abandoned) · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N98FR · no longer on the register · serial 17274195
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During cruise flight, about 1,000 feet above ground level, the engine lost power and began to vibrate. The pilot was unable to maintain altitude, so he performed a forced landing to a nearby abandoned military airfield. After touchdown, the airplane departed the end of the runway and collided with trees and bushes resulting in substantial damage to the airframe. A postaccident examination of the engine revealed that the No. 2 cylinder exhaust valve failed, and the valve parts exited the engine through the exhaust system. The operator reported that the exhaust valve had accumulated about 1,120 hours since installation.
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 enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip eng cyl section › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 226 hours in all; 30 in this make and model
- Last flight review: October 13, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,297 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 15, 2010; 49 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BQN Borinquen PR at 8:00 pm
- Destination: SIG San Juan PR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 150° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 pm from TJSJ, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.