- Date
- February 11, 1989, 18:25 local (22:25 UTC)
- Place
- San Juan, PR
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N303CRCessna 172M
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 22, 1990
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19890211031959A
- Case key
- 32397
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 failure of the pilot to properly use carburetor heat in conditions conducive to the formation of carburetor ice.
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
Shortly after takeoff, about 500 ft above the airport, the plt reported the eng gradually lost power. Unable to land back at the arpt, the acft was ditched. After recovery & replacement of the magnetos, wiring harnesses, & plugs, the eng ran with no abnormalities. Conditions at the time of departure were conducive to the formation of carburetor ice. The carburetor heat control was found in the off/cold position. Temp was reported as 78 deg f and dewpoint was 69 deg f.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N303CR
- Reported as
- Cessna 172M
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17264107
- Airframe hours
- 4,226
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2D, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Cloud Riders Aviation, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · April 7, 1988 · 92 hours before
- Airport
- SIG · Isla Grande, runway 9, 5,317 × 100 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
- 30
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 1,200 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 90° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- SJU, 2 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.