- Date
- June 7, 1992, 14:34 local (18:34 UTC)
- Place
- Mayaguez, PR
- Injuries
- 5 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N355CACASA 212
- Weather
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 10, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920607030049A
- Case key
- 33145
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 beta blocking device for undetermined reason(s), and the second-pilot's inadvertent activation of the power lever, or levers, aft of the flight idle position and into the beta range, resulting in a loss of airplane control.
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 crashed on apch 3/4 mi sw of the arpt. A witness heard sound he associated with props going into reverse, then observed airplane emerge from clouds in a nose-low attitude. CVR tape revealed sound of an abrupt change in freq & amplitude 10 secs prior to impact. Exam of the left eng beta indicator lamp revealed heavy oxide deposit & stretched coils indicative of the lamp being illuminated at impact; right eng beta lamp was destroyed. Power levers and (beta mode) trigger locks operated normally; trigger return springs intact. Flight idle stops showed no evidence of excessive wear or deformation. The power lever (beta) blocking device lockout solenoid was tested electrically and functioned normally. The rigging of the beta lockout device could not be checked due to impact damage. The operator conducted a funct test of the electrical or backup beta blocking devices on the remaining 8 casa 212 airplanes; 3 were found to be inoperative. Neither the mfgr nor operator had an inspection or funct test requirement for the blocking devices.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N355CA
- Reported as
- CASA 212
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 234
- Airframe hours
- 14,135
- Engine
- Garrett TPE331-10R-51, 900 horsepower, turbo prop
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Part 135
- Operator
- Executive Air Charter, Inc., doing business as American Eagle
- Registered owner
- Island Int Leasing Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Transport
- Last inspection
- Continuous airworthiness · May 29, 1992 · 41 hours before
- Departed
- TSJU · San Juan, PR
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- Eugenuio Maria De Hosto
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
- 31
- Certificates
- Airline transport, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 6,634 total · 2,634 in this make and model · 3,113 as pilot in command · 170 in the last 90 days · 71 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Instrument (IMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 16 knots
- Visibility
- 2 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- -0 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EXK, 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.