Cessna 150 accident near San Juan, Puerto Rico, March 2, 1983
On March 2, 1983 at about 10:55 pm local time, a Cessna 150, registered N60913, was substantially damaged in an accident near San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. 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
- March 2, 1983 · about 10:55 pm local time
- Place
- San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 150 · all 150s on the register
- Registration
- N60913 · no longer on the register · serial 15070664
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT WAS DITCHED IN A LAKE NEAR SAN JUAN FOLLOWING ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. THE PILOT HAD RENTED THE ACFT FOR A ROUND TRIP TO ST. THOMAS. THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED ON THE RETURN FLT TO SAN JUAN. IT WAS REPORTED THAT ONLY RESIDUAL FUEL WAS FOUND IN THE ACFT AFTER ITS RECOVERY FROM THE LAKE. THE OPERATOR STATED THAT THE ACFT HAD BEEN FLOWN 2 HRS AND 25 MINUTES BEFORE IT WAS RENTED AGAIN WITH ABOUT 10 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD. THE ACFT WAS NOT REFUELED BEFOREDEPARTING SAN JUAN NOR WAS IT REFUELED WHILE IN ST. THOMAS. THE PILOTS REPORT SHOWS HE FLEW THE ACFT FOR 1 HR. AND 45 MINUTES BEFORE THE ENGINE STOPPED. THIS COMBINES WITH THE PREVIOUS FLIGHT FOR A GRAND TOTAL OF 4 HOURS AND 10 MINUTES SINCE REFUELING.
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: 98 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 48 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,081 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 20, 1982; 70 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,600 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-200 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: STT St. Thomas
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 050° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:00 pm from SJU, 8 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.