Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Levittown
Thursday, April 5, 1990 17:45 AST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

THE CAPTAIN OF THE AIRPLANE ELECTED TO TAKE OFF ON A THREE ENGINE FERRY FLIGHT WITHOUT AUTHORIZATION. DURING THE THREE ENGINE CLIMB OUT WITH THE NO.3 PROPELLER FEATHERED, THE NO.2 ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE AND HE COULD NOT EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. HE ATTEMPTED TO RETURN AND DURING THE DESCENT THE NO.1 ENGINE FAILED. HE THEN INTENTIONALLY DITCHED THE AIRPLANE IN THE OCEAN, AND RECEIVED FATAL INJURIES. THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT RECOVERED FROM THE OCEAN AND NO DETERMINATION OF CAUSE COULD BE ASCERTAINED.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

FIRE OF AN UNDETERMINED ORIGIN THAT RESULTED IN A LOSS OF POWER IN TWO ENGINES DURING A THREE ENGINE FERRY FLIGHT. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO OBTAIN THE REQUIRED AUTHORIZATION FOR THE THREE ENGINE FERRY FLIGHT, AND HIS OPERATION OF THE AIRCRAFT WITH KNOWN DEFICIENCIES.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 4/5/1990
Event Day of the Week Thursday
Time of Event 1745
Event Time Zone Atlantic Standard Time
Event City LEVITTOWN
Event State PUERTO RICO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 00759
Event Date Year 1990
Event Date Month 4
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1750 Atlantic Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 285
Weather Observation Facility ID SJU
Elevation of weather observation facility 10
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 11
Time Zone of the weather observation AST
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 3500
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 0
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Unknown
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 20
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 29
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 22
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 260
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 5
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 29
Density Altitude (feet) --
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor 2
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 3
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 6008
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Apr 5 1990 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1820
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 41485
Date of most recent change to record Dec 12 2000 4:54PM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number HI515
NTSB Number MIA90FA101
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed VFR
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire In-flight
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name LOCKHEED
Aircraft Model L-1049F
Aircraft Series Identifier L-1049F
Aircraft Serial Number 4192
Certified Max Gross Weight 120000
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class Foreign Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 4
Number of Engines 4
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection 100 Hour
Date of Last Inspection Feb 4 1990 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 22
Airframe Hours 16822
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name AEROLINEAS MUNDO S.A.
Aircraft Owner Street Address P.O. BOX 66-0274
Aircraft Owner City MIAMI SPRINGS
Aircraft Owner State FL
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 33266
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name
Operator Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? Yes
Operator Street Address
Operator City
Operator State
Operator Country
Operator Zip code
Operator Code AMSA
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not --
Indicates Domestic or International Flight --
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail --
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Ferry
Second Pilot on Board Yes
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code SJU
Departure City SAN JUAN
Departure State PR
Departure Country
Departure Time 1730
Departure Time Zone AST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code
Destination City SANTO DOMINGO
Destination State OF
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:30AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --