Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Pena Pobre, Puerto Rico 00721
Sunday, May 13, 2001 19:33 AST

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

The flight was being handled as a VFR aircraft by air traffic control, was given a discreet transponder code, and was radar contact at an altitude of 4,500 feet. The pilot requested a VFR decent from 4,500 feet, and was cleared to "…descend unrestricted west bound." Radar and radio contact were lost at an altitude of 2,700 feet. The controller tried to re-establish radio contact with the airplane's pilot 10 times before initiating search and rescue efforts. A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter found the wreckage, using the aircraft's emergency locator transmitter. The next day a ground search for the aircraft was halted because of hazardous terrain. Search and rescue personnel had to be air lifted into the crash site to remove the victim. A police helicopter was vectored to the crash site by ATC about an 1 1/2 hours after contact was lost with the flight, and the pilot reported that he could not fly near the crash site because of fog. He reported the ceiling about 2,400 feet. The aircraft impacted in heavily wooded, mountainous terrain at the 2,700-foot level of a 3,524-foot mountain. Toxicology test showed that venlafaxine and desmethylvenlafaxine drugs were found in the pilot's blood, and the levels found were consistent with the recent ingestion of more than 10 times a normal dose of venlafaxine.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

failure of the pilot-in-command to maintain altitude/clearance, resulting in an in-flight collision with rising terrain.

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 5/13/2001
Event Day of the Week Sunday
Time of Event 1933
Event Time Zone Atlantic Standard Time
Event City PENA POBRE
Event State PUERTO RICO
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 00721
Event Date Year 2001
Event Date Month 5
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude 181545N
Event Location Longitude 0654931W
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 --
Degrees magnetic from airport --
Airport Elevation --
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1955 Atlantic Standard Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 90
Weather Observation Facility ID TJNR
Elevation of weather observation facility 38
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 10
Time Zone of the weather observation AST
Lighting Conditions Night/Dark
Lowest Ceiling Height 2500
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height --
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Clear
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling Broken
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) --
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) --
Visibility (Statute Miles) 3
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 26
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 24
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 140
Variable Wind Indicator Wind direction could be determined
Wind Speed (knots) 6
Wind Velocity Indicator --
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) --
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 1279
Intensity of Precipitation --
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury Fatal
On Ground, Fatal Injuries --
On Ground, Minor Injuries --
On Ground, Serious Injuries --
Injury Total Fatal 1
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None --
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All 1
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 13412
NTSB Notification Source FAA SAN JUAN
NTSB Notification Date May 13 2001 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 2300
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information DMS
Date of most recent change to record May 13 2003 12:26PM
User who most recently changed record NTSB\MONR
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office San Juan FSDO

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N404BA
NTSB Number MIA01FA140
Missing Aircraft Indicator --
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 91: General Aviation
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? No
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire Ground
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name Cessna
Aircraft Model 404
Aircraft Series Identifier --
Aircraft Serial Number 404-0237
Certified Max Gross Weight 8400
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 10
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection Annual
Date of Last Inspection Mar 29 2001 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 50
Airframe Hours 12000
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated Yes
ELT Aided Location of Event Site Yes
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name Air Cargo Systems International Inc.
Aircraft Owner Street Address PO BOX 250319
Aircraft Owner City Aguadilla
Aircraft Owner State PR
Aircraft Owner Country USA
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 00604
Operator is an individual? No
Operator Name CITY WINGS INC
Operator Same as Owner? No
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 W5NA
Owner has at least one certificate --
Other Operator of large aircraft? --
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation --
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) Positioning
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code STX
Departure City ST CROIX
Departure State VI
Departure Country USA
Departure Time 1900
Departure Time Zone AST
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code SJU
Destination City San Juan
Destination State PR
Destination Country USA
Specific Phase of Flight Descent - normal
Report sent to ICAO? Yes
Evacuation occurred No
Date of most recent change to record Mar 18 2003 10:47AM
User who most recently changed record KENJ
Since inspection or accident Last Inspection
Event Location Runway Number and Location --
Runway Length --
Runway Width --
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --