Piper PA-23-250 accident near St. Thomas, June 28, 1992
On June 28, 1992 at about 3:08 pm local time, a Piper PA-23-250, registered N59LD, was destroyed in an accident near St. Thomas (Cyril E. King airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 4 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IN-FLIGHT FIRE FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS, AND IN-FLIGHT COLLISION WITH THE WATER.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 28, 1992 · about 3:08 pm local time
- Place
- St. Thomas · Cyril E. King
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-250 · all PA-23-250s on the register
- Registration
- N59LD · no longer on the register · serial 27-7405249
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, THE PLT CONTACTED THE TOWER & ADVISED OF AN ENGINE FIRE. THE FLT WAS CLEARED TO RETURN BUT THE ACFT CRASHED APRX 5 MILES WEST OF THE ARPT. THE ACFT WAS RECOVERED SEVERAL DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT & EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT THE FIRE WAS NEAR THE LEFT ENGINE AREA. THE LEFT ENGINE WAS NOT RECOVERED. ON APRIL 29, 1992, THE LEFT ENGINE FUEL SERVO WAS REMOVED & AN OVERHAULED UNIT WAS INSTALLED. THERE WERE NO FURTHER ENTRIES IN THE LEFT ENGINE LOGBOOK. NO DETERMINATION COULD BE MADE AS TO THE REASON FOR THE FIRE OR THE ORIGIN.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 15, 1992
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Caribbean Air Carrier, INC.
The flight
- Destination: X95 Fajardo PR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 18 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from STT, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.