Britten-Norman BN-2A-27 accident near Cayey, Puerto Rico, September 4, 2003
On September 4, 2003 at about 9:08 pm local time, a Britten-Norman BN-2A-27, registered N630VC, was destroyed in an accident near Cayey, Puerto Rico. It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 6 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The loss of power on the left engine and partial lost of power on the right engine for undetermined reasons resulting in a force landing and impact with wires, tree, and terrain during subsequent force landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 4, 2003 · about 9:08 pm local time
- Place
- Cayey, Puerto Rico · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 6 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Britten-Norman BN-2A-27 · all BN-2A-27s on the register
- Registration
- N630VC · registry record · serial 868
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While on descent, the pilot reported that the airplane's left engine had lost power. He secured the left engine, and when he added power to the right engine, he believed it was not developing full power. He could not maintain altitude and elected to perform a forced landing in an open field. The airplane touched down long and with excessive speed on to the field striking trees, power lines and collided with the ground. A maintenance action entry in the aircraft's maintenance logbook indicate that the wing tip fuel tanks had the drain valve o-rings removed and replaced on the day before the accident. The maintenance entry states wing tip tanks were empty. The pilot stated he elected not to fuel either one of the wing tip tanks, due to the fact that maintenance was performed on them and did not select fuel from the wing tip tanks on the day of the accident. Excerpts from Airworthiness Directive (AD) 83-23-1, which is applicable to the accident airplane, states "This is a tip-tanked aircraft. Tip-tanks are to be filled first-used last. Before take-off check both main and tip-tank contents". AD 83-23-1 instructs to place a placard in clear view of the pilot on the instrument panel referring to the protocol of fueling and takeoff processors with regards to fuel tank contents. The mechanic who perform the maintenance to the wing tip tanks stated the placard was installed and in plain view of the pilot. The pilot stated he fueled the airplane with 50 gallons of aviation gasoline for a total of 90 gallons in both main tanks for the flight to Culebra from Ponce. The pilot went on to state prior to the return flight to Ponce from Culebra he checked his fuel quantity, which indicated he had 35 gallons in each main fuel tank for a total of 70 gallons aboard the airplane before departure. Fuel samples from both the FAA and the port authorities from the facility where the airplane was fueled for the flight showed no contamination as per the FAA Inspector statement.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,400 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 120 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 3,200 as pilot in command; 1,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: April 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,608 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 14, 2003; 55 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,300 lb
- Seats: 10
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-E4C5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: CPX Isla De Culebra PR at 8:25 pm
- Destination: PSE Ponce PR
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.89 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from TJMZ, 55 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 5 |
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.