Piper PA 18-150 accident near Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, March 1, 2014
On March 1, 2014 at about 5:50 pm local time, a 1979 Piper PA 18-150, registered N929SC, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Mayaguez, Puerto Rico (Eugenio Maria De Hostos airport). It was a banner-towing flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's loss of directional control of the airplane during landing, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 1, 2014 · about 5:50 pm local time
- Place
- Mayaguez, Puerto Rico · Eugenio Maria De Hostos · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 18-150, built 1979 · all PA 18-150s on the register
- Registration
- N929SC · registry record · serial 18-7909002
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Banner-towing flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to a written statement provided by the pilot to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector, he performed a three-point landing in the tailwheel equipped airplane. The airplane "bounced two times," and then it veered to the right. According to a written statement from the passenger, the "approach was normal, [but the] problems started after touchdown." The airplane turned to the right, the pilot initiated a go around; however, the left wing rose up, and the airplane "lost control" to the right. The airplane came to rest in the grass on the right side of the runway, and incurred substantial damage to the firewall and fuselage. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-C1G (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Yellow Media Group INC
The flight
- Departed from: TJMZ Mayaguez PR
- Destination: TJMZ Mayaguez PR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 4,998 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 6:10 pm from TJMZ
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N929SC the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 ERA14CA140.