Convair CV-240 accident near San Juan, Puerto Rico, May 22, 1997
On May 22, 1997 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Convair CV-240, registered N355T, was destroyed in an accident near San Juan, Puerto Rico. It was a positioning flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the aft master rod in the right engine, and failure of the front master rod bearing in the left engine, which resulted in a forced landing on a beach and a subsequent encounter with ocean water.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 22, 1997 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- San Juan, Puerto Rico
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Convair CV-240
- Registration
- N355T · registry record · serial 281
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that during cruise flight, the flight crew noticed that the left engine had high temperature and that its oil pressure started to fluctuate. A precautionary engine shutdown was performed. A short time later, the right engine started to fail, and the airplane would not maintain altitude. The left engine was restarted, but the flight crew could not maintain altitude. A forced landing was made on a beach; however, the airplane came to rest in 5 feet of water in the Atlantic Ocean. Examination of the left engine revealed a failure of the front master rod bearing. Examination of the right engine revealed a failure of the aft master rod.
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; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,200 hours in all; 29,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 14,239 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, May 12, 1997; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 41,790 lb
- Seats: 3
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W R-2800 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: STT St Thomas
- Destination: SJU PR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 17 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:56 pm from SJU, 20 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.