Country
Puerto Rico

Crash of a Britten-Norman BN-2A-26 Islander near Orocovis: 1 killed

Date & Time: Sep 9, 1970 at 0745 LT
Type of aircraft:
Britten-Norman Islander
Operator:
Registration:
N855JA
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
San Juan - Ponce
MSN:
87
YOM:
1969
Location:
Orocovis
All Puerto Rico
Country:
Puerto Rico
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Captain / Total flying hours:
4180
Captain / Total hours on type:
130.00
Circumstances:
While cruising at a relative low height, the pilot initiated a turn to the left when the airplane struck a mountain and crashed. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot, sole on board, was killed.
Probable cause:
The exact cause of the uncontrolled descent could not be determined. However, there was no malfunction on the aircraft and it is reported that the pilot had not slept for about 27 hours.
Final Report:

Crash of a Grumman HU-16B Albatross at Ramey AFB

Date & Time: Aug 4, 1970
Type of aircraft:
Grumman HU-16 (SA-16) Albatross
Operator:
Registration:
51-5305
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
G-188
YOM:
1952
Location:
Ramey AFB (Aguadilla)
All Puerto Rico
Country:
Puerto Rico
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed upon landing at Ramey AFB for unknown reason. No casualties.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-25-DK off San Juan

Date & Time: Jun 13, 1970 at 0936 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Conner Air Lines
Registration:
N1549V
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
San Juan – Charlotte Amalie
MSN:
13480
YOM:
1944
Location:
San Juan-Luis Muñoz Marín (Isla Verde)
All Puerto Rico
Country:
Puerto Rico
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
3000
Captain / Total hours on type:
1100.00
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from San Juan-Isla Verde Airport, the crew ditched the aircraft into the sea. Both occupants were rescued while the aircraft was lost.
Probable cause:
The crew intentionally ditched the aircraft for unknown reason. Investigations revealed there was no emergency landing needed and that the aircraft was capable to continue normal operations.
Final Report:

Crash of a Beechcraft C-45H Expeditor off Loíza: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 11, 1969 at 1210 LT
Type of aircraft:
Beechcraft C-45 Expeditor
Operator:
Registration:
N9957Z
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
San Juan – Charlotte Amalie
MSN:
52-10802
YOM:
1952
Location:
Loíza
All Puerto Rico
Country:
Puerto Rico
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
11
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Captain / Total flying hours:
5400
Captain / Total hours on type:
2050.00
Circumstances:
Few minutes after takeoff from San Juan, while cruising along the coast, the pilot informed ATC about the failure of the left engine and was vectored to the nearest airport. The pilot reduced his altitude but as he realized he could not make it, he decided to ditch the aircraft about 400 meters offshore. The airplane quickly sank and was not recovered. A passenger drowned while 11 other occupants were injured, four of then seriously. Few debris were later found.
Probable cause:
Powerplant failure in cruising flight for undetermined reasons. The following factors were reported:
- The aircraft came to rest in water and sank,
- Inadequate preflight preparation on part of the pilot,
- Partial loss of power one engine,
- Left engine failed then the right engine lost power,
- Ditched in heavy sea 900 feet from shore,
- No pre-takeoff emergency briefing.
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:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Charlotte Amalie – San Juan
MSN:
14125
YOM:
1961
Flight number:
PQ277
Location:
Sierra de Luquillo
All Puerto Rico
Country:
Puerto Rico
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
17
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
19
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 Fairchild C-119G Flying Boxcar on Mt Pico del Este: 8 killed

Date & Time: Dec 14, 1968
Type of aircraft:
Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar
Operator:
Registration:
51-2667
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Roosevelt Roads - Homestead
MSN:
10656
YOM:
1951
Location:
Mt Pico del Este
All Puerto Rico
Country:
Puerto Rico
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The crew departed Roosevelt Roads NAS on a routine flight to Homestead AFB, south Florida. Few minutes after takeoff, the radio communication systems apparently failed and the crew decided to return to his departure point for a safe landing. While cruising in poor visibility at an altitude of 3,400 feet, the airplane struck tree tops and crashed in a wooded area located on the slope of the Pico del Este (1,036 meters high) located in the El Yunque National Park. As the airplane failed to return, SAR operations were conducted and the wreckage was found a day later some 12 km west of Ceiba. All eight crew members were killed.

Crash of a Rockwell Aero Commander 680E off San Juan: 1 killed

Date & Time: Apr 20, 1968 at 2000 LT
Type of aircraft:
Rockwell Aero Commander 680
Operator:
ABC-PRS Airways
Registration:
N408EE
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Positioning
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
680-665-8
YOM:
1958
Location:
San Juan
All Puerto Rico
Country:
Puerto Rico
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Captain / Total flying hours:
3602
Captain / Total hours on type:
369.00
Circumstances:
The pilot was completing a positioning flight when control was lost. The airplane crashed into the sea off San Juan. Some debris were found a day later but no trace of the pilot who was presumed dead.
Probable cause:
Due to lack of evidences, the cause of the accident could not be determined.
Final Report:

Crash of a Boeing B-52G-85-BW Stratofortress off Jobos Beach: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 5, 1967 at 1648 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-52 Stratofortress
Operator:
Registration:
57-6494
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
464199
YOM:
1957
Location:
Ramey AFB (Aguadilla)
All Puerto Rico
Country:
Puerto Rico
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
After takeoff from Ramey AFB, Aguadilla, while climbing to a height of 3,000 feet, the airplane adopted a nose-down attitude then plunged into the sea off Jobos Beach. Three crew members who were able to bail out before impact were found alive while four others were killed. The aircraft was destroyed.
Crew:
Cpt Donald Foster, pilot, †
Cpt Erwin Cowart, copilot, †
Cpt Taivo Patajan, navigator,
1st Lt Paul Grimm, navigator,
1st Lt Richard St. George, EWO, †
S/Sgt Leroy Spencer, crew Chief, †
T/Sgt Ronald Hagis, gunner.
Probable cause:
It was determined that a life raft stowed behind the copilot inflated during initial climb, pushing him into the control column.

Crash of a Beechcraft C-45G Expeditor off Arecibo

Date & Time: Mar 19, 1967 at 1315 LT
Type of aircraft:
Beechcraft C-45 Expeditor
Operator:
Registration:
N9470Z
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
AF-229
YOM:
1952
Location:
Arecibo
All Puerto Rico
Country:
Puerto Rico
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
12200
Captain / Total hours on type:
165.00
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Arecibo Airport, the crew informed ATC about an engine failure and elected to return for an emergency landing. The pilot-in-command realized he could not make it so he decided to ditch the airplane off Arecibo. All three occupants were quickly rescued while the airplane owned by Luis Pagan sank and was lost.
Probable cause:
Powerplant failure for undetermined reason.
Final Report:

Crash of a Lockheed P-2H Neptune at Roosevelt Roads NAS

Date & Time: Feb 19, 1967
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed P-2 Neptune
Operator:
Registration:
147955
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
726-7205
YOM:
1958
Location:
Roosevelt Roads NAS (Ceiba)
All Puerto Rico
Country:
Puerto Rico
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
After landing at Roosevelt Roads NAS, failed to stop within the remaining distance and overran. There were no injuries but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
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