Piper PA-23-250 accident near Ponce, Puerto Rico, July 25, 1984
On July 25, 1984 at about 6:05 pm local time, a Piper PA-23-250, registered N5464Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ponce, 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
- July 25, 1984 · about 6:05 pm local time
- Place
- Ponce, Puerto Rico
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-250 · all PA-23-250s on the register
- Registration
- N5464Y · no longer on the register · serial 27-2552
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ON INITIAL CLIMB, RIGHT ENGINE POWER LOSS OCCURRED. PLT EXECUTED EMERG PROCEDURES, ATTEMPTED GRADUAL CIRCUIT TO LAND. UNABLE TO MAINTAIN SUFFICIENT ALTITUDE TO CLEAR KNOWN OBSTRUCTIONS ON RUNWAY APPROACH. PLT ELECTED TO MAKE A GEAR-UP LANDING IN CANE FIELD. INVESTIGATION REVEALED SELF-LOCKING SCREW IN RT ENG FUEL DIVIDER BACKED OUT, ALLOWING FUEL TO ESCAPE VIA UPPER DIVIDER BLOCK VENT.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 116 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,006 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 7, 1984; 58 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1JPS Ponce PR at 6:07 pm
- Destination: SJU
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:00 pm from MJPS
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.
Other NTSB records under N5464Y 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.