Cessna 172N accident near Comerio, Puerto Rico, June 2, 1997
On June 2, 1997 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N4752D, was destroyed in an accident near Comerio, Puerto Rico. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's improper in-flight planning/decision, which resulted in his failure to maintain sufficient altitude/clearance from obstructions on rising terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 2, 1997 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Comerio, Puerto Rico
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N4752D · no longer on the register · serial 17272349
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses saw the airplane flying at low altitude and turn into rising terrain. According to witness statements, the airplane was seen performing a '360 degree turn in a clockwise direction...in a straight and level attitude,' heading toward rising terrain; it then 'hit' a palm tree and crashed into a private residence. The terrain was rising from an estimated elevation of about 660 feet mean sea level (msl) at the lowest point. The elevation at the crash site was about 1,815 feet msl, and the top of the rising terrain was about 3,630 feet msl. Several witnesses, who had reached the crash site, said the airplane came to rest in a house, but at first, there was no fire. The passenger in the left rear seat was the first to be removed. The other three occupants were still in the wreckage when a fire erupted. According to the witnesses, the fire started about 25 to 30 minutes after the accident. The fire was too intense to remove any of the other victims. There was no injures to ground personnel. Control continuity was established to all flight controls. Disassembly of the engine did not reveal any discrepancies.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 6,900 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,379 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 1997; 10 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: SJU San Juan PR at 6:13 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 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.