# Accident 20081203856629A: Gulstm 690B, Rio Grande, PR, December 3, 2008

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 3, 2008, 12:30 local time
- Place: Rio Grande, PR
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: Air taxi and commuter (Part 135)
- Operator: WQZA
- Location: 18.3256° N, 65.7778° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=18.3256&lon=-65.7778&mi=10
- Aircraft: N318WA, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N318WA-2017-07-20) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Rockwell International 690B (registry code 7630516, https://openairdocs.org/model/rockwell-international-690b) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: AiResearch TPE331-5&6SER (registry code 01515, https://openairdocs.org/engine/airesearch-tpe331-5-6ser) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: GULSTM 690B
- Reported engine: GARRTT TPE3315252M
- People aboard: 3
- Fatal injuries: 3
- Pilot flight hours: 9,600 total, 0 in this make and model, 0 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA09FA078](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA09FA078) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20081203856629A

## Narrative

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

(-23) ON DECEMBER 3, 2008, AT APPROXIMATELY 12:30 PM LOCAL TIME, THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION (FAA) SOUTH FLORIDA FSDO SAN JUAN FACILITY RECEIVED INFORMATION FROM THE FAA SAN JUAN CERAP (CENTER RADAR APPROACH CONTROL) INDICATING THE AIRCRAFT N318WA (GA-690-B, ROCKWELL AERO COMMANDER) WAS MISSING AND NO LONGER ON RADAR.  AT APPROXIMATELY 14:30 LOCAL TIME, INFORMATION WAS RECEIVED FROM THE PUERTO RICO POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT THE AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT SITE HAD BEEN LOCATED APPROXIMATELY TWO (2)MILES NORTH OF EL YUNQUE NATIONAL PARK (LATITUDE 18'1932 NORTH AND LONGITUDE 65'4640 WEST), IN RIO GRANDE, PUERTO RICO.  ON DECEMBER 4, 2008 THE ACCIDENT SITE WAS REACHED BY FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINSTRATION (FAA) AND SEARCH AND RESCUED PERSONNEL.  PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION OF THE ACCIDENT SITE REVEALED THAT THE AIRPLANE COLLIDED WITH TREES AND MOUNTAIN CLIFF.  THE AIRPLANE WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED ON IMPACT AND POST CRASH FIRE.  PILOT AND TWO PASSENGERS WERE FATALLY INJURED.  AIRCRAFT N318WA DEPARTED FROM TORTOLA, BRITISH VIRGIN ISLAND INBOUND TO LUIS MUNOZ MARIN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (SJU). (SEE ATTACHMENT)

## 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 ERA09FA078](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA09FA078), Dec 3, 2008: Rockwell International 690B (N318WA), Rio Grande, PR, destroyed, 3 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in an in-flight collision with terrain.

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.