Cessna 208B incident near Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, April 12, 2005
On April 12, 2005 at about 2:50 pm local time, a Cessna 208B, registered N1241X, was involved in an incident near Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico (Roosevelt Roads Airport). It was flown under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The fracture of multiple compressor turbine blades while the airplane was in a cruise flight configuration resulting in a loss of engine power. Sulphidation type corrosion was a factor in failure of the blades.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 12, 2005 · about 2:50 pm local time
- Place
- Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico · Roosevelt Roads Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 208B · all 208Bs on the register
- Registration
- N1241X · no longer on the register · serial 208B-657
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Flight · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane experienced a total loss of engine power during a domestic passenger cross-country flight. Following the loss of power, the pilot successfully landed the airplane at a nearby Naval Air Station. The pilot reported that during cruise flight, he heard a loud bang and oil became visible on the aircraft's windshield. He stated that concurrent with the loud bang, the propeller came to an abrupt stop. Postaccident examination of the engine revealed extensive corrosion and mechanical damage throughout the compressor and power turbine assemblies. The compressor disk assembly was essentially intact, however, all of the compressor turbine blades were fractured and displaced. The fracture surfaces were all approximately .250 inches above the corresponding blade platform. Examination of the fractured compressor turbine blades revealed the blades fractured in a tensile overload condition. The overload fractures associated with the compressor turbine blades was due to a weakening of the underlying base material due to the presence of sulphidation corrosion. The sulphidation corrosion was evident through approximately half of the thickness of the blades airfoil reducing the blades effective load bearing capabilities. The material composition of the turbine blades met drawing requirements and no metallurgical anomalies were found.
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
- Flight time: 7,745 hours in all; 2,450 in this make and model; 165 in the last 90 days; 26 in the last 30 days; 7,095 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,777 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, April 1, 2005; 16 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,750 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-114A (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Operator: Mn Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: VQS Vieques PR at 2:41 pm
- Destination: TJSJ San Juan PR
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 25, 11,000 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.