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20170704008859A

Accident · Destroyed
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FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-180 · San Juan, PR · July 4, 2017

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

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Date
July 4, 2017 · 16:21 local
Place
San Juan, PR
Airport
Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N9427J
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA17LA227
Reported as
Piper PA-28-180
Reported engine
Lycoming O&VO-360 series
People aboard
4
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
4
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
143 total131 in this make and model1 in the last 90 days
N9427JRegistration cancelled Sep 6, 2019 · Piper PA-28-180S/N 28-3538 · Built 1966Airframe modelPiper PA-28-180Engine modelLycoming O&VO-360 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

After interviewing the PIC and the passenger sitting next to him which happens to be a low time private pilot revealed that the take-off and initial climb was normal. After approximately 200 to 300 feet the pilot felt the engine viabrating and followed by significant loss of power. The PIC decided to call ATC and advised he was returning to the airport and made a 180 degree turn for runway 27. At this point the passenger advised the PIC several times about the airspeed being too low and stall warning indicator flashing. As he made a sharp left turn the airplane entered a stall/spin condition and lost total control of the airplane. Eventually airplane crashed in the San Juan bay channel in the water very near the marina.

ATC recording of the radar screen revealed that the pilot climbed to a maximum altitude of 600 feet and then dissapeared from radar. Pilot had probably 3 to 5 seconds to decide to continue straight ahead and make a control approach and do an emergency landing on the condado lagoon.

As the FAA filed it

AFTER INTERVIEWING THE PIC AND THE PASSENGER SITTING NEXT TO HIM WHICH HAPPENS TO BE A LOW TIME PRIVATE PILOT REVEALED THAT THE TAKE-OFF AND INITIAL CLIMB WAS NORMAL. AFTER APPROXIMATELY 200 TO 300 FEET THE PILOT FELT THE ENGINE VIABRATING AND FOLLOWED BY SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF POWER. THE PIC DECIDED TO CALL ATC AND ADVISED HE WAS RETURNING TO THE AIRPORT AND MADE A 180 DEGREE TURN FOR RUNWAY 27. AT THIS POINT THE PASSENGER ADVISED THE PIC SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT THE AIRSPEED BEING TOO LOW AND STALL WARNING INDICATOR FLASHING. AS HE MADE A SHARP LEFT TURN THE AIRPLANE ENTERED A STALL/SPIN CONDITION AND LOST TOTAL CONTROL OF THE AIRPLANE. EVENTUALLY AIRPLANE CRASHED IN THE SAN JUAN BAY CHANNEL IN THE WATER VERY NEAR THE MARINA.

ATC RECORDING OF THE RADAR SCREEN REVEALED THAT THE PILOT CLIMBED TO A MAXIMUM ALTITUDE OF 600 FEET AND THEN DISSAPEARED FROM RADAR. PILOT HAD PROBABLY 3 TO 5 SECONDS TO DECIDE TO CONTINUE STRAIGHT AHEAD AND MAKE A CONTROL APPROACH AND DO AN EMERGENCY LANDING ON THE CONDADO LAGOON.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB ERA17LA227Accident · No injuriesLimited investigationFinal reportSan Juan, PRA partial loss of engine power during initial climb for reasons that could not be determined and the pilot's subsequent exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.Jul 4, 2017 · Substantial damage