Cessna 172M accident near Barceloneta, Puerto Rico, November 23, 2001
On November 23, 2001 at about 10:40 am local time, a Cessna 172M, registered N61582, was substantially damaged in an accident near Barceloneta, Puerto Rico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the aircraft which resulted in an uncontrolled descent and an in flight collision with water. Contributing to the accident was the impairment of the pilot due to alcohol.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 23, 2001 · about 10:40 am local time
- Place
- Barceloneta, Puerto Rico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N61582 · no longer on the register · serial 17264656
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he was performing left turns at an altitude of 900 feet, and when he tried to correct for a left bank, he was unable to do so. He said he was able to make pitch control changes, but was unable to recover from the left bank because the control had jammed. He said that the aircraft then entered a spin, and descended, crashing upside down into a lake. According to an FAA inspector who conducted the postcrash investigation, when he interviewed the pilot, the pilot said that the aircraft was at an altitude of about 700 to 900 feet, and his passenger who was seated in the front next to him, was asleep. The inspector said that the pilot further stated that during attempts to apply a control input to stop the left turn, the control yoke became jammed. The inspector said his examination of the accident aircraft showed that the impact had separated the wings from the rest of the fuselage, but that the flight control system exhibited damage consistent with overstress, and there was no evidence of any preaccident mechanical malfunction to the flight control system. Information provided by law enforcement officials showed that an aircraft had been observed at 200 feet, operating in an area consistent with where the accident aircraft was later found, and that the pilot exhibited a strong odor of alcohol, but refused requests that he submit to an alcohol test.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 287 hours in all; 240 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 227 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: November 22, 1999
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,787 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 17, 2001; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SIG San Juan PR at 10:10 am
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 0 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 am from SJU, 40 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
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.