What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
(.4)While en route to the first schedule stop, the pilot heard a radio transmission that weather conditions in the vicinity of his next destination were 'bad.' Upon arriving, the pilot attempted to telephone flight service for a weather briefing and to file a flight plan. After efforts to contact flight service failed, the pilot elected to takeoff without a filing a flight plan. A few minutes into the flight, the pilot decided to return to the departure airport after the flight encountered deteriorating weather conditions that included heavy turbulence, and low ceilings. The airplane collided with trees as the pilot maneuvered the airplane. The post-accident examination of the airplane failed to disclose a mechanical malfunction or a component failure. The pilot did not report a mechanical problem with the airplane. A review of the en route flight charts disclosed that the terrain elevation at the departure point was approximately 24 feet. The terrain elevation at the approximate location of the accident site was 2,500 feet. (-23) pilot departed from san juan int. Airport (lmm) to ponce airport (pse) and then to borinquen airport (bqn) with cargo from dhl co. for both destinations. During the leg to pse, he heard through the radios about bad weather in the vicinity of bqn airport. Upon landing at pse he tried to contact flight service station to file a flight plan and get the weather report but he was unlucky to reach it by phone. He decided to take-off and once airborne get the flight plan and the weather. About 10 to 12 minutes after take-off, he decided to turn back to pse due to deteriorated weather conditions in route to bqn. During the initial turn to the left he encountered an updraft followed with a stall warning indication and then a down draft condition. The pilot responded applying full power and nose down, reaching a 2,500 ft rate of descent and max. Speed limit. To contrarest this, he returned power lever back and pull nose up, creating a second stall condition. In the meantime the pilot is maneuvering trying to control the aircraft due to heavy turbulances.
As the FAA filed it
(.4)WHILE EN ROUTE TO THE FIRST SCHEDULE STOP, THE PILOT HEARD A RADIO TRANSMISSION THAT WEATHER CONDITIONS IN THE VICINITY OF HIS NEXT DESTINATION WERE 'BAD.' UPON ARRIVING, THE PILOT ATTEMPTED TO TELEPHONE FLIGHT SERVICE FOR A WEATHER BRIEFING AND TO FILE A FLIGHT PLAN. AFTER EFFORTS TO CONTACT FLIGHT SERVICE FAILED, THE PILOT ELECTED TO TAKEOFF WITHOUT A FILING A FLIGHT PLAN. A FEW MINUTES INTO THE FLIGHT, THE PILOT DECIDED TO RETURN TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT AFTER THE FLIGHT ENCOUNTERED DETERIORATING WEATHER CONDITIONS THAT INCLUDED HEAVY TURBULENCE, AND LOW CEILINGS. THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES AS THE PILOT MANEUVERED THE AIRPLANE. THE POST-ACCIDENT EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE FAILED TO DISCLOSE A MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION OR A COMPONENT FAILURE. THE PILOT DID NOT REPORT A MECHANICAL PROBLEM WITH THE AIRPLANE. A REVIEW OF THE EN ROUTE FLIGHT CHARTS DISCLOSED THAT THE TERRAIN ELEVATION AT THE DEPARTURE POINT WAS APPROXIMATELY 24 FEET. THE TERRAIN ELEVATION AT THE APPROXIMATE LOCATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS 2,500 FEET. (-23) PILOT DEPARTED FROM SAN JUAN INT. AIRPORT (LMM) TO PONCE AIRPORT (PSE) AND THEN TO BORINQUEN AIRPORT (BQN) WITH CARGO FROM DHL CO. FOR BOTH DESTINATIONS. DURING THE LEG TO PSE, HE HEARD THROUGH THE RADIOS ABOUT BAD WEATHER IN THE VICINITY OF BQN AIRPORT. UPON LANDING AT PSE HE TRIED TO CONTACT FLIGHT SERVICE STATION TO FILE A FLIGHT PLAN AND GET THE WEATHER REPORT BUT HE WAS UNLUCKY TO REACH IT BY PHONE. HE DECIDED TO TAKE-OFF AND ONCE AIRBORNE GET THE FLIGHT PLAN AND THE WEATHER. ABOUT 10 TO 12 MINUTES AFTER TAKE-OFF, HE DECIDED TO TURN BACK TO PSE DUE TO DETERIORATED WEATHER CONDITIONS IN ROUTE TO BQN. DURING THE INITIAL TURN TO THE LEFT HE ENCOUNTERED AN UPDRAFT FOLLOWED WITH A STALL WARNING INDICATION AND THEN A DOWN DRAFT CONDITION. THE PILOT RESPONDED APPLYING FULL POWER AND NOSE DOWN, REACHING A 2,500 FT RATE OF DESCENT AND MAX. SPEED LIMIT. TO CONTRAREST THIS, HE RETURNED POWER LEVER BACK AND PULL NOSE UP, CREATING A SECOND STALL CONDITION. IN THE MEANTIME THE PILOT IS MANEUVERING TRYING TO CONTROL THE AIRCRAFT DUE TO HEAVY TURBULANCES.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.