# Accident 19970706016839A: Piper PA34200, Fajardo, Puerto Rico, July 6, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: July 6, 1997, 08:30 local time
- Place: Fajardo, Puerto Rico
- Airport: Diego Jimenez Torres Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: To Init Climb(1st Pwr Reduct)
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 18.3333° N, 65.6576° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Fajardo, PR, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=18.3333&lon=-65.6576&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4515T, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4515T-1998-12-09) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-34-200 (registry code 7103405, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-34-200) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA34200
- Reported engine: LYC IO360C1E6
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 548 total, 154 in this make and model, 6 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL97LA101](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL97LA101) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970706016839A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

PRACTICING TOUCH AND GO'S FOR ONE HOUR, CONTROL STUCK, UNABLE TO CLIMB, CRASHED. (.4)THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD BEEN DOING TOUCH-AND-GO LANDINGS FOR AN HOUR WHEN HE EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF ELEVATOR CONTROL DURING CLIMBOUT. HE SAID THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD CLIMBED TO 400 FEET WHEN THE CONTROL YOKE STUCK. EFFORTS, TO REGAIN CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE FAILED. AFTER TRANSMITTING SEVERAL 'MAY DAY' CALLS, THE PILOT PREPARED THE AIRPLANE FOR DITCHING. THE AIRPLANE DITCHED IN ABOUT 130 FEET OF WATER 200 METERS EAST OF THE FAJARDO SHORELINE. THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT RECOVERED FOR EXAMINATION. THE PILOT DID NOT REPORT ANY PREVIOUS FLIGHT CONTROL PROBLEMS WITH THE AIRPLANE.                  (-23) ON 07/06/97, PILOT CARLOS RODRIGUEZ, AFTER ONE HOUR OF PRACTICE AT FAJARDO AIRPORT, THE FLYING CONTROLS GOT STUCK AND AIRCRAFT COULD NOT CLIMB. AIRCRAFT CONTINUED FLYING 200 METERS. EAST OF SHORELINE OF AIRPORT, AND SANK INTO THE WATER. AIRCRAFT PA-34-200, N4515T WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED. AIRCRAFT WAS NOT ACCESSIBLE FOR INSPECTION DUE TO ITS BEING SUNK COMPLETELY WITH NO RECOVERY SCHEDULED. PILOT STATEMENT WAS THE ONLY AVAILABLE INFORMATION                                                                     ON OCCURRENCE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ATL97LA101](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL97LA101), Jul 6, 1997: Piper PA-34-200 (N4515T), Fajardo, PR, substantial damage. Probable cause: a malfunction (jamming) of the elevator flight control system for undetermined reason(s).

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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