- Date
- June 25, 1991, 16:21 local (20:21 UTC)
- Place
- Culebra, PR
- Injuries
- 7 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5513JPiper PA-32-260
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report March 31, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19910625023909A
- Case key
- 32888
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
Oil exhaustion for undetermined reasons.
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
After descending, the pilot observed the oil pressure was dropping. He initiated a turn to land at an arpt on a nearby island but stated the eng then quit. The pilot was unable to land at the arpt and ditched the acft. The eng was recovered, and the oil sump was deteriorated due to salt water immersion. The eng was disassembled which revealed the no. 5 cylinder connecting rod failed due to oil exhaustion due to undetermined reasons. During the disassembly of the eng only trace amounts of oil were found. The logbooks recorded an annual inspection was performed the day before the accident and the acft had operated about 1 hour since.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5513J
- Reported as
- Piper PA-32-260
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 32-970
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-E4B5, 260 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Alas Del Caribe Airlines
- Registered owner
- Alas Del Caribe Airlines
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 24, 1991 · 1 hours before
- Departed
- STT · St. Thomas
- Destination
- X95 · Fajaro, PR
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
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 1,939 total · 400 in this make and model · 1,891 as pilot in command
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 25 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.