Amateur-built DHC-6 accident near San Juan, Puerto Rico, November 29, 1986
On November 29, 1986 at about 1:50 pm local time, a amateur-built DHC-6, registered N930MA, was substantially damaged in an accident near San Juan, Puerto Rico (Luis Munuzmarin Int'L airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 29, 1986 · about 1:50 pm local time
- Place
- San Juan, Puerto Rico · Luis Munuzmarin Int'L
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built DHC-6
- Registration
- N930MA · registry record · serial 190
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT STATED THAT ON TAKEOFF ROLL AS THE NOSE WHEEL WAS LIFTED AT APRX 60 KNOTS, THE ACFT VEERED SHARPLY TO THE LEFT, RAN OFF THE RUNWAY AND COLLIDED WITH THE GLIDE SLOPE BUILDING. THE LEFT ENG AND PROPELLER WERE EXAMINED AND BOTH COMPONENTS WERE FOUND TO BE OPERATING NORMALLY AND THE DAMAGE FOUND WAS CONSISTENT WITH A PROPELLER STRIKE AND RESULTANT SUDDEN STOPPAGE. NO EVIDENCE WAS FOUND DURING THE EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT STRUCTURE, FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEMS OR RIGHT POWERPLANT TO SUGGEST A FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION PRIOR TO IMPACT WITH THE GLIDE SLOPE BUILDING.
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
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,086 hours in all; 700 in this make and model; 172 in the last 90 days; 2,856 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 33,397 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, November 17, 1986; 73 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 11,579 lb
- Seats: 20
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: P&W PT6A-27 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: MAZ Mayaguez PR
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 8, 10,000 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; scat at 1,700 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:51 pm from SJU
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MIA87FA040.