Socata TB 10 accident near Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, September 19, 1993
On September 19, 1993 at about 8:15 pm local time, a Socata TB 10, registered N104F, was destroyed in an accident near Aguadilla, Puerto Rico (Rafael Hernandez airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
IN FLIGHT ENCOUNTER WITH A LEVEL II THUNDERSTORM AND FLIGHT INTO KNOWN ADVESE WEATHER BY THE PILOT IN COMMAND. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS FAILURE OF THE PILOT IN COMMAND TO OBTAIN A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 19, 1993 · about 8:15 pm local time
- Place
- Aguadilla, Puerto Rico · Rafael Hernandez
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Socata TB 10 · all TB 10s on the register
- Registration
- N104F · no longer on the register · serial 589
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A PREFLIGHT WEATHER BRIEFING WAS NOT OBTAINED BEFORE DEPARTURE. THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN SHOWERS WERE FORECAST. DURING THE FLIGHT AN INDIVIDUAL IN THE AIRPLANE REQUESTED WEATHER ADVISORIES FROM THE UNICOM OPERATOR WHO ADVISED THE CREW OF A THUNDERSTORM NEAR THE AIRPORT. THE FLIGHT PROCEEDED TOWARD THE THUNDERSTORM ACCORDING TO WITNESSES BUT THERE WERE NO WITNESSES TO THE ACCIDENT. THE AIRPLANE MINUS THE RIGHT WING WAS RECOVERED. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT THE LEFT WING SEPARATED NEAR THE WING ROOT AND ABOUT 20 INCHES OUTBOARD OF THE OUTBOARD FUEL SENSOR DUE TO OVERLOAD. THE RIGHT WING FAILED NEAR THE WING ROOT DUE TO OVERLOAD. EXAMINATION OF THE FLIGHT CONTROLS REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PRE-IMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE ASSEMBLY MINUS THE MAGNETOS, AND FUEL PUMP HOUSING REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PRE-IMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION. NO OCCUPANT HAD AN INSTRUMENT RATING. NO DETERMINATION COULD BE MADE AS TO WHO WAS FLYING THE AIRPLANE.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 143 hours in all; 20 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 15, 1992
- Maximum gross weight: 2,535 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MJMZ Mayaguez PR at 7:30 pm
- Destination: SIG San Juan PR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,000 ft; scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 pm from BQN, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 MIA93FA198.