Amateur-built RANS S-12 accident near Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, March 22, 1992
On March 22, 1992 at about 2:30 pm local time, a amateur-built RANS S-12, registered UNREG, was substantially damaged in an accident near Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE NON FAA CERTIFICATED PILOT TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED AND THE INADVERTENT STALL DURING AN ATTEMPTED PRECAUTIONARY LANDING FOLLOWING PARTIAL LOSS OF ENGINE POWER DUE TO UNDETERMINED REASONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 22, 1992 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built RANS S-12
- Registration
- UNREG · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PERFORM A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING ON A BEACH FOLLOWING A PARTIAL LOSS OF ENG POWER DURING CRUISE FLT, THE NON FAA CERTIFICATED PLT INADVERTENTLY STALLED THE AIRPLANE WHICH DESCENDED UNCONTROLLED & COLLIDED WITH THE WATER IN A NOSE & RT WING LOW ATTITUDE. HE FURTHER STATED THAT HE BELIEVES THAT THE LOSS OF POWER WAS DUE TO OVERHEATING OF THE ENG. IT WAS NOT EXAMINED THEREFORE NO DETERMINATION COULD BE MADE AS TO THE REASON FOR THE PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER. THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT REGISTERED WITH THE FAA BUT WAS REQUIRED TO BE.
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
- Flight time: 31 hours in all; 6 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: None
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 960 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Rotax 582 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Monte Grande PR at 2:10 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 045° at 17 knots
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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 UNREG 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.