Piper PA-23-250 accident near San Juan, Puerto Rico, October 25, 2004
On October 25, 2004 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-23-250, registered N62711, was substantially damaged in an accident near San Juan, Puerto Rico (Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot-in-command's failure to maintain airspeed while on base to final leg, which resulted in an inadvertent stall/mush and subsequent impact with the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 25, 2004 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- San Juan, Puerto Rico · Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 6 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-250 · all PA-23-250s on the register
- Registration
- N62711 · no longer on the register · serial 27-7654165
- 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, on the downwind leg, the air traffic controller (ATC) instructed him to extend the downwind for 2 miles from the airport for traffic. Shortly after, ATC instructed him to fly straight to the runway for a short approach from the Capital building and to expedite due to inbound traffic at that time. The pilot questioned ATC about the short final instructions because of the ships at the port in close proximity to the approach. The pilot stated, "On short final the aircraft had no control" and he applied full power to the engines; however, the airplane impacted on the runway, left wing first. A witness positioned about 1,000 feet from the approach end of runway 9, stated he observed the accident airplane over the inside pattern turning on a left turn for a short final approach for runway 9. The airplane continued to descend without any indication of recovery. He heard the engine speeding up before the left wing tip hit the surface and bounced back to the right hitting the nose and the right main gear, at this point both main landing gear separated. The airplane slid backwards for about 300 feet on the runway before coming to a stop. The six people onboard exited the airplane without assistance and appeared to have no injuries. An FAA Aviation Safety Inspector that conducted the post-accident examination to the accident airplane's flight controls stated that continuity of the flight controls was established and the accident airplane's flight control systems were determined to be in operational condition. Runway 9 at Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport, is a published 100-foot wide by 5,317 foot long runway.
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,740 hours in all; 1,800 in this make and model; 160 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 6,200 as pilot in command; 3,250 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 1, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,043.9 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 1, 2004; 6.6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Premier Airways INC
The flight
- Departed from: TISX St. Croix at 7:45 pm
- Destination: TJIG Isla Grande PR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 5,317 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.82 inHg
- Observation at 7:56 pm from TJSJ
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.
Other NTSB records under N62711 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.