Cessna 182 accident near Arecibo, Puerto Rico, June 10, 2018
On June 10, 2018 at about 4:34 pm local time, a 1957 Cessna 182, registered N3889D, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Arecibo, Puerto Rico (Antonio (Nery) Juarbe Pol Airp airport). It was a skydiving flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 4 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Maintenance personnel's failure to properly apply torque to the engine through bolts, which ultimately resulted in the crankshaft failure and the total 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
- June 10, 2018 · about 4:34 pm local time
- Place
- Arecibo, Puerto Rico · Antonio (Nery) Juarbe Pol Airp · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 4 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 A, built 1957 · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N3889D · no longer on the register · serial 34589
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Skydiving flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that shortly after takeoff on the skydiving flight, the airplane's engine made a "clicking" sound and lost power. The pilot subsequently performed a forced landing to a field, during which the airplane flipped over and sustained substantial damage to the fuselage, right wing, and tail. Examination of the engine revealed the crankcase web mating surfaces at the Nos. 2, 3, and 4 bearing saddles exhibited pitting consistent with fretting, which was indicative of improper preloading (torque) of the through bolts. Additionally, the No. 2 main bearing was displaced from its saddle and severely worn, and the crankshaft fractured due to fatigue. A review of maintenance records revealed the engine's camshaft and lifters were replaced about 280 hours before the accident; this was the last documented time during which the applicable through bolts and associated nuts would have been assembled. Given this information, it is likely that maintenance personnel failed to properly apply torque to these through bolts during this maintenance, which ultimately resulted in the crankshaft failure and the subsequent loss of engine power.
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
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Loss of engine power (total) during initial climb defining event
- 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 Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Maintenance personnel
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,285 hours in all; 1,187 in this make and model
- Last flight review: March 2, 2018
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,931.2 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 5, 2018; 24 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-470-L (piston); 2,821 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ABO Arecibo PR at 4:34 pm
- Destination: ABO Arecibo PR
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
9 documents, released by the NTSB on April 22, 2020. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Record of Conversation - Pilot | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Record of Conversation - Pilot and Passengers | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 13 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Photos | PDF, 16 pages | View Download |
| 6 | NTSB Materials Laboratory - Factual Report | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 10 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Evidence Control Forms | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Continental Standard Practice Manual, Page 6-4 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.