Piper PA-28-140 accident near Fajardo, Puerto Rico, December 4, 1994
On December 4, 1994 at about 10:05 am local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N404FL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fajardo, Puerto Rico (Fajardo airport). 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE MALFUNCTION OF A MAGNETO RESULTING IN A PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER OVER UNSUITABLE TERRAIN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 4, 1994 · about 10:05 am local time
- Place
- Fajardo, Puerto Rico · Fajardo
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N404FL · no longer on the register · serial 7225520
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER TAKEOFF THE PILOT NOTED THE ENGINE RUNNING 'ROUGH. HE FLEW THE TRAFFIC PATTERN AND THE ENGINE CONTINUED TO LOSE POWER. ON FINAL APPROACH HE STATED THE ENGINE WOULD NOT DEVELOP ENOUGH POWER TO MAKE THE RUNWAY AND HE EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING INTO A MARSH SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE AFTER RECOVERY REVEALED THE RIGHT MAGNETO WAS WORN AND WOULD ONLY PRODUCE PARTIAL POWER.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 505 hours in all; 177 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days; 34 in the last 30 days; 444 as pilot in command; 69 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,673 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 4, 1994; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E3D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: VQS Vieques PR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7, 3,600 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 080° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:55 am from NRR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
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.