Piper PA-23-250 accident near San Juan, Puerto Rico, February 11, 1983
On February 11, 1983 at about 5:41 pm local time, a Piper PA-23-250, registered N5627Y, was destroyed in an accident near San Juan, Puerto Rico (Isla Grande airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 11, 1983 · about 5:41 pm local time
- Place
- San Juan, Puerto Rico · Isla Grande
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-250 · all PA-23-250s on the register
- Registration
- N5627Y · no longer on the register · serial 27-2738
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF THE PLT REQUESTED CLEARANCE TO RETURN TO THE ARPT & LAND. ACCORDING TO WITNESSES THE ACFT WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY MAINTAINING ALTITUDE & WAS FLYING WITH THE NOSE 'UP AND DOWN.' THE TOWER CONTROLLER STATED THAT THE ACFT DIDN'T SEEM TO GET ANY HIGHER THAN 300 FT AT ANY TIME. THE ACFT THEN LANDED HARD ABOUT 500 FT FROM THE APCH END OF THE RWY, BOUNCED HIGH TWO MORE TIMES BEFORE IT CAME TO REST INVERTED ABOUT 3,500 FT FROM THE APCH END & 300 FT TO THE RIGHT OF CENTERLINE ON A PARALLEL TAXIWAY WHERE IT BURST INTO FLAMES. THE ACFT WAS ABOUT 435 LBS OVER MAX GROSS WEIGHT &THE CG WAS 1.3 INCHES AFT OF THE REAR LIMIT.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,800 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-G4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Destination: Netherland
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 5,317 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:51 pm from SJU, 6 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.