# NTSB ERA25LA275: Piper PA28, N4187U, San Juan, PR, July 21, 2025 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: July 21, 2025, 10:48 local (14:48 UTC) - Place: San Juan, PR - Coordinates: 18.456778, -66.098472 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=18.4568&lon=-66.0985&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Takeoff](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/300) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Takeoff: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 1 uninjured - Status: Completed, report November 20, 2025 - Report: Approved by Office Director - Investigation class: Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish - NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation - Parties: FAA/FSDO - NTSB case key (mKey): 200596 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA25LA275 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/200596/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=200596 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25LA275 ## Probable cause The student pilot’s excessing pitch attitude during takeoff, which resulted in a loss of aircraft control and aerodynamic stall. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Use of equip/info: aircraft control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040): Personnel issues › Task performance · Student/instructed pilot (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-28-181, 53 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md?model=7102807), [All aircraft, 9,295 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02063040/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: pitch control](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062022): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Not attained/maintained (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-28-181, 6 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062022/cases.md?model=7102807), [All aircraft, 526 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062022/cases.md) - [Performance/control parameters: angle of attack](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062042): Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability · Capability exceeded (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-28-181, 7 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062042/cases.md?model=7102807), [All aircraft, 990 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01062042/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Takeoff: Loss of control in flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-28-181, 18 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md?model=7102807), [All aircraft, 5,002 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/240/sequence.md) - [Takeoff: Aerodynamic stall/spin](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241); cases with it: [Piper PA-28-181, 5 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241/sequence.md?model=7102807), [All aircraft, 1,529 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/241/sequence.md) - [Uncontrolled descent: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470); cases with it: [Piper PA-28-181, 70 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=7102807), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md) ## Analysis The student pilot reported that the accident flight was her second solo flight, and she had accumulated 0.6 hours of solo experience during her previous solo flight. She added that her flight instructor told her that she could practice soft and short field takeoffs if she felt comfortable. During the accident flight, she was attempting a soft field takeoff technique. After liftoff, the airplane drifted left and the student pilot attempted to correct with right rudder, but the airplane stalled left and impacted a parking lot. Both of the airplane’s wings and the fuselage sustained substantial damage during the accident. Postaccident examination of the airplane did not reveal evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures, nor did the student pilot report any. Review of an airport video recording confirmed that the airplane took off in an extreme nose high attitude before it yawed left and stalled. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N4187U](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N4187U-2025-11-14), registration cancelled 2025-11-14, S/N 2843201, built 1998 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: PIPER PA28 (181) - Registry model: [Piper PA-28-181](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-181) (registry code 7102807) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Lycoming O&VO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (registry code 41514, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 2843201 - Year built: 1998 - Airframe hours: 10667 - Engines: Lycoming O-360 180 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Operator: Inter American University Of Puerto Rico - Registered owner: Inter American University Of Puerto Rico - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Last inspection: 100 hour, July 14, 2025 - Airport: SIG, Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport, runway 9, 5,539 × 100 ft, asphalt - Equipment: Stall warning system, ADS-B ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 20; injuries: none; student; medical: class 1, without waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 43 total, 43 in this make and model, 0.6 as pilot in command, 21.4 in the last 90 days, 4.3 in the last 30 days ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 100° at 12 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: none - Temperature: 86 °F, dew point 72 °F - Altimeter: 30.05 inHg - Observed at: TJIG - METAR: TJIG 211445Z 10012KT 10SM SCT025 SCT060 30/22 A3005 ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20250721012959A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250721012959A), Jul 21, 2025: Piper PA-28-181, San Juan, PR, Destroyed. On July 21, 2025, about 1048 atlantic standard time, a Piper PA-28-181 airplane crashed shortly after departing runway 09 at Fernando Luis Ribas dominnicci… ## Docket (5 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on November 20, 2025, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=200596. 8.1 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 10 pages, 1.8 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19095998&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Memorandum for the record - FAA inspector (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 63 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19095543&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=MFR-Rel.pdf - FAA interview summary of student pilot (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 609 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19095676&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=FAA%20Interview%20Summary_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Airport maintenance video (MP4, 42 seconds, 5MB) (item 4, MP4, 5.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19096008&FileExtension=mp4&FileName=Airport%20Maintenance%20Video-Rel.mp4 - Investigation photograph (item 5, PDF, 2 pages, 1 photo, 271 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=19095622&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Investigation%20Photograph-Rel.pdf 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. --- 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.