Amateur-built AA-5 accident near Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, August 23, 1987
On August 23, 1987 at about 10:00 pm local time, a amateur-built AA-5, registered N100UA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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
- August 23, 1987 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Vega Baja, Puerto Rico
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built AA-5
- Registration
- N100UA · registry record · serial AA5-0774
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT STATED THAT HE HAD DESCENDED FROM 4500 FT TO GET OUT OF THE CLOUDS & AT 1300 FT, THE ENG BECAME ROUGH. HE STATED THE RPM DROPPED FROM 2300 TO 1000. HE ALSO STATED THAT HE DID NOT USE CARB HEAT PRIOR TO OR DURING THE DESCENT. THE PLT STATED THAT WHEN HE CHECKED HIS MAGS DURING THE DESCENT, THE RT ONE WAS INOP. THE PLT ADVISED THAT WHEN THE RECOVERY TEAM RETURNED TO THE CRASH SITE THE NEXT MORNING, SCAVENGERS HAD ALL BUT COMPLETELY STRIPPED THE ACFT.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 419 hours in all; 231 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 291 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,630 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 31, 1987
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320E2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TGIG Isla Grande PR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:52 pm from SJU, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 MIA87LA230.