Cessna 172F accident near Fajardo, Puerto Rico, September 1, 2003
On September 1, 2003 at about 3:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172F, registered N8578U, was destroyed in an accident near Fajardo, Puerto Rico (Diego Jimenez Torres airport). It was a personal 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate aircraft preflight resulting in the airplane being operated with water contamination in the fuel system, and the 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
- September 1, 2003 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Fajardo, Puerto Rico · Diego Jimenez Torres · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172F · all 172Fs on the register
- Registration
- N8578U · no longer on the register · serial 17252478
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, after taking off, at an altitude of about 300 feet, the airplane's engine lost power. The pilot performed a 180-degree turn back to the runway, but due to the low altitude was unable to reach the runway. He elected to land in a field about 1/2 mile from the runway. The pilot explained it had been close to 3 weeks since the airplane had last been flown. He said he drained large quantities of water from both the left and right wing fuel tank sump ports. He fueled the airplane with a total of about 29 gallons of 100 LL aviation fuel and drained a total of a gallon of fuel from both wing tanks, with "no" indication of water in the fuel. The individual who recovered the airplane from the field stated when up righting the engine, a noticeable amount of water poured out of the carburetor. An Airframe and Power plant mechanic stated to the Federal Aviation Administration inspector that when the carburetor bowl drain plug was removed, only water came out of it, no fuel at all. At the time of the accident no water was utilized at the seen. Weather reports support that there was no rain in the area between the accident and the time the airplane was removed from the farm.
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: airline transport pilot, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 21,642 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: May 30, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,247 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 31, 2003; 49 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-360-A3A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TJFA Fajardo PR at 3:28 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 8, 3,600 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 30.03 inHg
- Observation at 3:56 pm from TJSJ, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.