Prinair - Puerto Rico International Airlines | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane crashed on the airport while executing a takeoff from the Alexander Hamilton Airport, Christiansted, St. Croix, USVI. There were 19 passengers and 2 crew members on board. The first officer and 7 passengers were killed, and the captain and 12 passengers were injured seriously. The aircraft was destroyed. Witnesses saw the aircraft assume a nose-high attitude shortly after takeoff. The aircraft then began to roll to a left then to a right wing-down attitude, followed by a momentary pitchdown. The aircraft then pitched up and oscillated to a left wing-down and then a right wing down attitude while losing altitude. It struck the ground while in a right wing-down attitude. The gross weight of the aircraft at takeoff was found to be 1,060 lbs over its maximum allowable takeoff weight of 12,499 lbs and the center of gravity was about 8 inches beyond the maximum allowable rear limit.

Probable cause:

The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the pilot's loss of control of the aircraft after takeoff because of the aircraft's grossly overweight and out-of-balance condition which resulted from misloading by the company's load control personnel. The misloading was due to the failure of the company to supervise and to enforce its loading procedures. The Safety Board also determines that inadequate surveillance and enforcement by the FAA were causal factors in this accident.

Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland DH.114 Heron 2B in Ponce: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jun 24, 1972 at 2317 LT

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.114 Heron

Operator:

Registration:

N554PR

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

San Juan - Ponce

MSN:

14085

YOM:

1955

Flight number:

PQ191

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

8297

Captain / Total hours on type:

3017.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

1434

Copilot / Total hours on type:

102

Aircraft flight hours:

11364

Circumstances:

On a night approach to Ponce-Mercedita Airport, the crew decided to make a go-around when control was lost. The airplane overrotated then crashed 2,200 feet past the runway 29 threshold and 260 feet to the south. Both pilots and three passengers were killed while all other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

The National Transportation Safety Board determines that the probable cause of the accident was the loss of directional control during a go-around from a landing attempt. Control was lost when the aircraft was overrotated at too low an airspeed to sustain flight. The crew’s reasons for rejecting the landing are not known.

Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland DH.114 Heron in the Sierra de Luquillo: 19 killed

Date & Time: Mar 5, 1969 at 1738 LT

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.114 Heron

Operator:

Registration:

N563PR

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Charlotte Amalie – San Juan

MSN:

14125

YOM:

1961

Flight number:

PQ277

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

26800

Captain / Total hours on type:

1000.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

1524

Copilot / Total hours on type:

1200

Aircraft flight hours:

4167

Circumstances:

Prinair flight PQ277 departed Charlotte Amalie Airport (Saint Thomas Island) at 1715LT for an IFR flight to San Juan. At 17:32, the flight contacted San Juan Approach Control and advised that the flight was maintaining 4,000 feet. The trainee approach controller replied: "Prinair two seven seven San Juan Approach Control radar contact three miles east of Isla Verde fly a heading of two five zero for a vector to ILS final maintain four thousand." Actually the flight was 3 miles east of the Fajardo intersection instead of the Isla Verde intersection which is located about 10 miles west of the Fajardo intersection. One minute later the Heron was cleared to descend to 3,000 feet. At 17:38, after being vectored for a runway 07 approach, the airplane contacted trees and crashed, coming to rest near the top of a knoll in the Sierra de Luquillo mountains at an elevation of about 2400 feet (731 m). The wreckage was found about 24 km southeast of San Juan-Isla Verde Airport and all 18 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The vectoring of the aircraft into mountainous terrain, under IFR conditions, without adequate obstruction clearance altitude by a controller who, for reasons beyond his control, was performing beyond the safe limits of his performance capability and without adequate supervision.

Final Report:

Crash of a Curtiss C-46F-1-CU Commando in San Pedro Sula

Date & Time: Sep 18, 1962

Type of aircraft:

Curtiss C-46 Commando

Operator:

Registration:

N67937

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

San Pedro Sula – San Juan

MSN:

22386

YOM:

1945

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

During the takeoff roll at San Pedro Sula-Barandillas Airport, the airplane suffered a loss of power on one engine. It went out of control, veered off runway and eventually collided with a wooden house. Both crew members were unhurt while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Loss of engine power on takeoff.