- Date
- May 10, 1991, 11:20 local (15:20 UTC)
- Place
- Aguadilla, PR
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Initial climb
- Aircraft
- N134FSMcdonnell Douglas DC-3C
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 27, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910510015239A
- Case key
- 32751
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 in command's failure to maintain airspeed (vs) after a partial loss of engine power on the left engine due to failure of the no. 8 engine assembly cylinder. This resulted in an in flight loss of control (stall), and in flight collision with terrain.
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 airplane sustained a partial loss of engine power on the left engine on takeoff climb due to the failure of the no. 8 engine assembly cylinder. The airplane was observed by witnesses at 400 feet AGL in a 20 degree left bank while maneuvering to return to the departure airport. The angle of bank increased to 60 degrees with a noticeable decrease in airspeed while the airplane descended below 300 feet AGL. The left wing dropped 90 degrees to the left and the nose pitched down vertically. The airplane appeared to regain elevator authority and leveled out before encountering a secondary stall. The airplane collided with the terrain and was destroyed by postcrash fire.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N134FS
- Reported as
- Mcdonnell Douglas DC-3C
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 99848
- Engine
- P&W R1830-90D, 1,200 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Four Star Aviation
- Registered owner
- Four Star Aviation
- Departed
- JBQ · Aguadilla, PR
- Destination
- PSE · Ponce, PR
- Flight plan
- Unknown
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
- 42
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 3,068 total · 873 in this make and model · 102 in the last 90 days · 28 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 80° at 15 knots
- Visibility
- 15 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- JBQ, 1 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.