- Date
- October 29, 1988, 14:40 local (18:40 UTC)
- Place
- San Juan, PR
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N5237YPiper PA-23-250
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report November 7, 1989
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19881029048439A
- Case key
- 32350
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
The pilot noted an explosion in the right wing during engine start. He stated that the aircraft had been 'topped off' prior to the flight. Residue of fuel was found in the wing outside the fuel cells after the explosion.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5237Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 27-2291
- Airframe hours
- 10,080
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-A1D5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Registered owner
- Virgin Air Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · October 6, 1988 · 14 hours before
- Destination
- STT · St Thomas
- Airport
- SJU · Luis Munoz Marin Int'L
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
- 26
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,700 total · 40 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 190° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 9,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SJU
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.