- Date
- April 20, 2000, 14:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Vieques, PR
- Injuries
- 4 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7528SSmith, Ted Aerostar Aerostar 600
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 4, 2000
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20000420010429A
- Case key
- 49065
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's improper compensation for wind conditions during approach to landing resulting in the aircraft touching down hard, short of the runway, and receiving substantial damage.
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
The pilot stated that while approaching to land, the aircraft entered a downward motion and touched down about 10 feet short of the runway. He taxied to the ramp after landing and discovered the aircraft had sustained substantial damage.
Factual narrative
On April 20, 2000, about 1400 Atlantic standard time, a Smith Aerostar 600, N7528S, registered to Island Wings, Inc., was damaged during landing at Vieques, Puerto, Rico, while on a Title 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time and no flight plan was filed. The aircraft received substantial damage and the commercial-rated pilot and three passengers were not injured. The flight originated from Fajardo, Puerto Rico, the same day, about 1330.
The pilot stated that while landing on runway 9 at Antonio Rivera Rodriguez Airport, while on short final approach in the landing configuration, just before touchdown, the aircraft encountered a downward force due to the displaced touchdown point of the extremely short runway available. He immediately added power to try to overcome the downward motion, but to no avail. The aircraft touched down 10 feet short of the runway. He continued the landing and exited the runway. Postlanding inspection of the aircraft showed it had sustained substantial damage.
The NTSB was notified of the accident on April 27, 2000.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7528S
- Reported as
- Smith, Ted Aerostar Aerostar 600 (AEROSTAR 6)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 60-0190-086
- Airframe hours
- 3,228
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-540-K1F5, 290 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Sammy Garcia Perez
- Registered owner
- Island Wings, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 27, 2000 · 80 hours before
- Departed
- X95 · Fajardo, PR
- Destination
- VQS
- Airport
- VQS · Antonio Rivera Rodriguez, runway 9, 3,400 × 75 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 40
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 901 total · 76 in this make and model · 729 as pilot in command · 47 in the last 90 days · 16 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 7,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SJU, 35 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.