Piper PA-32-300 accident near Punta Cana, Do, April 20, 2015
On April 20, 2015 at about 11:50 am local time, a Piper PA-32-300, registered HI957, was destroyed in an accident during enroute near Punta Cana. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under non-U.S. private rules. 7 people were killed.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 20, 2015 · about 11:50 am local time
- Place
- Punta Cana, Dominican Republic · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 7 people were killed.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- HI957 · no longer on the register · serial 32-1171
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · non-U.S. private rules
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute defining event
Pilot
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: MDPC Punta Cana
- Destination: MDAB Punta Cana
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 6 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check 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.