- Date
- August 2, 1984, 08:05 local (12:05 UTC)
- Place
- Vieques, PR
- Injuries
- 9 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N589SABritten-Norman BN-2A Islander
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Board-adopted at Board Meeting
- NTSB office
- Major Investigations Division
- Safety recommendations
- Yes
- FAA report
- 19840802076919A
- Case key
- 15812
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
A witness reported he heard an apparent eng problem after the acft took off & began a left turn for a x-wind departure. Reportedly, the acft oscillated, then after regaining some lost alt, it banked abruptly to the left, nosed down, & subsequently, crashed in the ocean in a left wing low, nose down attitude. An investigation revealed evidence the left eng had lost power due to water contamination. Water was found in the fuel storage tank as well as in another acft that had been refueled from the same tank. The left prop had not been feathered & the flaps were found full down. The plt had been designated for 'on-demand' flts, but he was not certified for 'scheduled commuter' flts. The company had designated this as an on-demand flt rather than an extra-section scheduled commuter flt. There was evidence the acft was loaded 600 to 700 lbs over the max limit & up to 5 inches behind the aft CG limit. FAA surveillance of the company operations was not effective in identifying prblms. The storage tank filler cap (in a well area) was not water tight.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N589SA
- Reported as
- Britten-Norman BN-2A Islander (BN-2A ISLA)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 38
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-E4C5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Vieques Air Link, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Vieques Air Link, Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Departed
- VQS
- Destination
- STX · St Croix
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- VQS · Vieques, runway 9, 2,500 × 75 ft, asphalt
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 21
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 723 total · 71 in this make and model · 142 in the last 90 days · 31 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 88 °F, dew point 73 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.