Aero Commander 500S accident near Manati, Puerto Rico, February 11, 1996
On February 11, 1996 at about 8:38 pm local time, a Aero Commander 500S, registered N79NU, was destroyed in an accident near Manati, Puerto Rico. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Failure of the flight crew, for undetermined reasons, to recover from a stall and resulting uncontrolled descent. This resulted in the aircraft colliding with the terrain while in a 45-60 degree nose down attitude at a slow speed.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 11, 1996 · about 8:38 pm local time
- Place
- Manati, Puerto Rico
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander 500S · all 500Ss on the register
- Registration
- N79NU · no longer on the register · serial 3206
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight was a dual instruction flight for the purpose of giving the dual student an orientation to the aircraft. Witnesses observed the aircraft flying from east to west at a slow speed. The right wing dropped and then returned to level. The right wing and nose dropped and the aircraft descended in a 45-60 degree nose down attitude. As the aircraft descended the wings rolled back and forth and something was observed moving on the outboard right wing area. The aircraft did not recover from the descent and crashed nose first at a slow speed into a swamp area. Post crash examination of the aircraft showed no evidence to indicate pre-crash mechanical malfunction or failure of the aircraft structure, flight controls, engines, propellers, or systems. The rudder trim was found in the neutral position and the elevator trim was found set for 70% of the aircraft nose up trim. Toxicology tests showed the dual student had .319 ug/ml of marihuana in urine, .010 ug/ml marihuana in blood, and 10.90 ug/ml of acetaminophen in blood. The pilot-in-command/flight instructor had 47.90 ug/ml acetaminophen and 89.20 ug/ml salicylate in urine. The pilot-in-command had hand injuries consistent with operating the aircraft's controls at the time of the accident. The dual student did not have hand injuries consistent with operation of the aircraft's controls.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,560 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 180 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 1,800 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,323 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 9, 1995; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,750 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-E1B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: SIG San Juan PR at 8:28 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from SJU, 26 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.
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.