# Accident 19991223041859A: Cessna 208B, Adjuntas, PR, December 23, 1999

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 23, 1999, 16:00 local time
- Place: Adjuntas, PR
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Forced/Precautionary Landing
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: XXDA
- Location: 18.1638° N, 66.7235° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Adjuntas, PR, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=18.1638&lon=-66.7235&mi=10
- Aircraft: N1315A, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1315A-2009-04-13) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 208B (registry code 2073701, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-208b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A series (registry code 52032, https://openairdocs.org/engine/pratt-whitney-pt6a-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 208B
- Reported engine: PWA PT6A114A
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 1,985 total, 550 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ATL00LA018](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL00LA018) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19991223041859A

## Narrative

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

(.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.

## 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 ATL00LA018](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ATL00LA018), Dec 23, 1999: Cessna 208B (N1315A), Adjuntas, PR, destroyed. Probable cause: The pilot continued flight into adverse weather conditions that included low ceiling and turbulence. Factors to the accident were trees.

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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