Piper PA-18-135 accident near Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico, April 13, 2014
On April 13, 2014 at about 9:40 pm local time, a 1952 Piper PA-18-135, registered N2875D, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico. It was a positioning 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s improper fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 13, 2014 · about 9:40 pm local time
- Place
- Aguas Buenas, Puerto Rico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-135, built 1952 · all PA-18-135s on the register
- Registration
- N2875D · registry record · serial 18-1931
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, following an uneventful banner-tow flight, he was returning the airplane to its home operating base when the engine began losing power. The pilot's attempts to restore engine power were unsuccessful, and he subsequently performed a forced landing to a forested area, which resulted in substantial damage to the airframe. Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine revealed that, despite the damage that the airframe incurred during the accident, both main wing fuel tanks remained intact. The fuel tanks and the fuel system were found absent of fuel. Examination of the engine revealed no evidence of a preimpact mechanical malfunction or failure.
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 (total) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Fuel planning › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Fluids/misc hardware › Fluids › Fuel › Fluid level
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › (general) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 720 hours in all; 285 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 690 as pilot in command; 155 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,782 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 11, 2014; 13 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,349 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Yellow Media Group
The flight
- Departed from: TJPS Mercedita Airpo PR at 5:00 pm
- Destination: TJIG San Juan PR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,400 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from TJSJ, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N2875D 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 ERA14LA198.