# NTSB investigations, PR: Loss of control in flight

NTSB aviation accident and incident investigations since 1962: the probable cause, findings, aircraft, crew, weather and docket of each, linked to the FAA registry and the FAA’s own reports.

## Latest cases

- [NTSB ERA26LA047](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA047.md): Torres Ruben Aventura II · Culebrita Beach, PR · Accident · Minor injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Nov 15, 2025 · N258RS · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the initial climb, which resulted in abnormal contact with the water and a subsequent collision with vegetation.
- [NTSB ERA25LA275](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25LA275.md): Piper PA28 · San Juan, PR · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jul 21, 2025 · N4187U · Substantial damage
  > The student pilot’s excessing pitch attitude during takeoff, which resulted in a loss of aircraft control and aerodynamic stall.
- [NTSB ERA25FA082](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25FA082.md): Cessna 172 · Cintrona, PR · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Dec 20, 2024 · N22088 · Destroyed
  > Maintenance personnel’s inadequate inspection of the airplane, which resulted in inflight the failure of the right aileron carry through cable due to wear, reduced effectiveness of the airplane’s ailerons, and a subsequent loss of control.
- [NTSB ERA24FA301](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA24FA301.md): Cessna 402B · Aguadilla, PR · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Jul 11, 2024 · N4167G · Destroyed
  > The pilot’s decision to operate the airplane with known maintenance discrepancies, which resulted in a total loss of right engine power. Contributing to the outcome was the pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed while returning to the airport with a single…
- [NTSB ERA24LA063](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA24LA063.md): Cessna 150L · Lajas, PR · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Dec 10, 2023 · N1707Q · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from bushes alongside the runway, which resulted in a loss of directional control during the takeoff.
- [NTSB ERA20LA202](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20LA202.md): Piper PA23 · San Juan, PR · Accident · 2 fatal · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Jun 2, 2020 · N14181 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s intentional operation of the airplane with known deficiencies of the left engine and subsequent in-flight loss of control after takeoff. Contributing to the loss of engine power was internal contamination of the left servo fuel injector.…
- [NTSB ERA18LA002](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA18LA002.md): Cessna 182 · San Juan, PR · Accident · 1 fatal · Limited investigation · Final report · Oct 2, 2017 · N9021X · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain adequate distance from helicopters during the approach for landing, resulting in an encounter with wake turbulence and subsequent loss of control.
- [NTSB ERA17FA195](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA17FA195.md): Piper PA23 · San Juan, PR · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Jun 3, 2017 · N21WW · Destroyed
  > The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed, properly correct for left yaw, and his exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack during initial climb, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent uncontrolled descent into water.
- [NTSB ERA15FA096](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA15FA096.md): Robinson Helicopter R22 Beta · Catano, PR · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Jan 10, 2015 · N348VH · Destroyed
  > The student pilot’s failure to maintain rotor rpm while maneuvering in the airport traffic pattern, which resulted in the helicopter’s uncontrolled descent to the water. Contributing to the accident was the student’s distraction with other aircraft operating…
- [NTSB ERA15CA089](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA15CA089.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 II · Barranquitas, PR · Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jan 2, 2015 · N3183T · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain control of the helicopter while landing which resulted in a tailrotor ground strike and collision with terrain.
- [NTSB ERA14LA174](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA14LA174.md): N/A N/A · Patillas, PR · Accident · 1 fatal · Limited investigation · Final report · Mar 26, 2014 · UNREG · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during approach for landing, which resulted in a stall/spin.
- [NTSB ERA14MA060](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA14MA060.md): Fairchild SA227-AC · La Alianza, PR · Accident · 2 fatal · Major investigation · Final report · Dec 3, 2013 · N831BC · Destroyed
  > The flight crew's excessive elevator input during a rapid descent under night lighting conditions, which resulted in the overstress and breakup of the airplane. Contributing to the accident was an initial loss of airplane control for reasons that could not be…
- [NTSB ERA14LA007](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA14LA007.md): Britten-Norman BN-2A-8 · Culebra, PR · Accident · 1 fatal · Limited investigation · Final report · Oct 6, 2013 · N909GD · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control for reasons that could not be determined because the wreckage was not recovered.
- [NTSB ERA12FA484](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12FA484.md): Cessna 172M · San Juan, PR · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Jul 25, 2012 · N73115 · Substantial damage
  > Maintenance personnel’s improper lubrication of the right direct aileron control cable and failure to detect the severe corrosion of the cable during a maintenance inspection, which resulted in the in-flight failure of the cable, the pilot’s subsequent…
- [NTSB DCA12FA051](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DCA12FA051.md): Convair 440 - NO Series · San Juan, PR · Accident · 2 fatal · Class 1 · Field · Final report · Mar 15, 2012 · N153JR · Destroyed
  > the flight crew's failure to maintain adequate airspeed after shutting down the right engine due to an in-flight fire in one of the right augmentors. The failure to maintain airspeed resulted in either an aerodynamic stall or a loss of directional control.
- [NTSB ERA12CA211](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12CA211.md): Cessna 172M · Mayaquez, PR · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Feb 19, 2012 · N5286H · Substantial damage
  > The pilot did not maintain control of the airplane while landing in crosswind conditions.
- [NTSB ERA11FA376](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA11FA376.md): Cessna A185F · Yabucoa, PR · Accident · 5 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Jul 1, 2011 · N8436Q · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's inadequate weather planning and improper decision to continue a visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in an encounter with a thunderstorm and subsequent loss of control.
- [NTSB ERA10CA407](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA10CA407.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 · Aguadilla, PR · Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report · Aug 8, 2010 · N367JM · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's inadequate preflight performance calculations, which resulted in the overweight helicopter's lack of hover capability out of ground effect.
- [NTSB ERA10LA207](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA10LA207.md): Luciano Edison HA-2 Sportster · Humacao, PR · Accident · 1 fatal · Limited investigation · Final report · Apr 3, 2010 · N764EL · Substantial damage
  > The failure of the pilot to maintain control of the gyrocraft while maneuvering after takeoff. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s operation of the gyrocraft with an inoperative right magneto.
- [NTSB ERA10LA158](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA10LA158.md): Monroig Pedro J Rans S-6S · Mayaguez, PR · Accident · 1 fatal · Limited investigation · Final report · Mar 3, 2010 · N514PM · Substantial damage
  > The sport pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during landing in crosswind conditions resulting in an aerodynamic stall.
- [NTSB ERA09MA157](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA09MA157.md): Cessna 206H · Quebradillas, PR · Accident · 6 fatal · Major investigation · Final report · Feb 8, 2009 · N118ME · Destroyed
  > The pilot exceeded the design limits of the airplane, which resulted in an in-flight break up while maneuvering in adverse weather conditions.
- [NTSB ERA09LA051](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA09LA051.md): Robinson Helicopter R44 · San Juan, PR · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Nov 12, 2008 · N452JM · Substantial damage
  > The detachment of the forward left servo control tube upper rod end attachment bolt during a hover due to separation of its retaining nut for undetermined reasons.
- [NTSB NYC08CA300](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/NYC08CA300.md): Quicksilver MXL II · Barceloneta, PR · Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report · Aug 30, 2008 · N594TC · Substantial damage
  > The student pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during an aborted landing. Contributing to the accident were the high winds.

## The whole list in SQL

Runs in DuckDB 1.2 or later on the release's Parquet files over HTTPS:

```sql
SELECT c."ntsbNumber", c."eventDate", c."eventType", c."eventCity", c."eventStateOrRegion", a.n_number, a."aircraftMake", a."aircraftModel", c."highestInjuryLevel", c."totalFatal", c."completionStatus", c.report_url
FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_case_detail.parquet' c LEFT JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' a ON a.case_mkey = c."mKey" AND a.position = 1
WHERE c."eventStateOrRegion" = 'PR' AND c."eventCountry" = 'USA'
  AND c."mKey" IN (SELECT s.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' s WHERE s."tier2Number" = '240' AND s.case_mkey IN (SELECT case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' WHERE "isDefiningEvent"))
ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC
```

This list as a web page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence?state=PR

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