Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
San Juan, Puerto Rico 00901
Saturday, March 12, 2005 9:20 AST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
Maintenance had been performed to the left main landing gear actuator and flexible hoses that connect to it earlier in the week. The mechanic who performed the work did not complete retraction tests of the landing gear and did not approve the airplane for return to service. The pilot stated that braking action was normal during taxiing, but after takeoff, at approximately 1,000 feet above ground level (AGL), the main gear would not retract and he noticed the hydraulic pressure gauge indicating 0 pressure. He selected gear down, observed three green lights, used the hydraulic emergency hand pump, and turned back to the airport. While operating the hydraulic emergency hand pump, he noticed "some pressure" up to 800 psi. While returning to the airport he moved the emergency hand pump selector valve to "brake only" to be able to stop the airplane but reported he did not get any pressure when using the emergency hydraulic pump. On final approach he slowed the airplane to approximately 85 miles per hour, touched down, and started pumping the hydraulic emergency hand pump for the brakes, with no success. Unable to stop the airplane, it collided with a ditch beyond the departure end of the runway. Following recovery of the airplane, the emergency hand pump selector valve was not found in the "brakes only" position. Operation of the hydraulic emergency hand pump with the selector set to "brakes only" revealed hydraulic pressure was produced. NTSB review of the airplane's Maintenance Manual reveals that the emergency hand pump selector valve, located between the pilot and co-pilot seats, provides a means of directing the flow of hand pumped pressure to either the brake system or the normal hydraulic system. With the selector valve in "brakes only" position, only the wheel brake system and nose steering cylinder received hand pump pressure which will not be indicated on the hydraulic pressure gauge.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The failure of the pilot to follow the emergency checklist and his inadvertent operation of the airplane with known discrepancies resulting in landing overrun and on-ground collision with a ditch during the landing roll.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 3/12/2005 |
| Event Day of the Week | Saturday |
| Time of Event | 920 |
| Event Time Zone | Atlantic Standard Time |
| Event City | San Juan |
| Event State | PUERTO RICO |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 00901 |
| Event Date Year | 2005 |
| Event Date Month | 3 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | Yes |
| Event Location Latitude | 182724N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0660588W |
| Event Location Airport | Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | TJIG |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | -- |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 10 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 856 Atlantic Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | -- |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TJSJ |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 10 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | AST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 28 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 21 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 20 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 7 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | -- |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.07 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | None |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | -- |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | 4 |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | -- |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 18508 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Comm Center |
| NTSB Notification Date | Mar 12 2005 12:00AM |
| NTSB Notification Time | 907 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | DMS |
| Date of most recent change to record | Oct 27 2005 6:51AM |
| User who most recently changed record | NTSB\JOHB |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | Caribbean Flight Standards District Office |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8498C |
| NTSB Number | MIA05LA079 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | VFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | No |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | Rockwell |
| Aircraft Model | Aero Commander 500 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 848 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 6200 |
| 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 | 6 |
| Number of Engines | 2 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | May 1 2004 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | -- |
| Airframe Hours | 4952 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | Yes |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Sergio Molina |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 559 Cuevillas Street, Apt. 2A |
| Aircraft Owner City | San Juan |
| Aircraft Owner State | PR |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 00907 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| 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 | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| 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) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | Yes |
| Departure Airport Code | TJIG |
| Departure City | SAN JUAN |
| Departure State | -- |
| Departure Country | -- |
| Departure Time | 913 |
| Departure Time Zone | -- |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | TJCP |
| Destination City | Isla De Culebra |
| Destination State | PR |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Landing - roll |
| Report sent to ICAO? | Yes |
| Evacuation occurred | Yes |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jul 29 2005 3:41PM |
| User who most recently changed record | KENJ |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 09 |
| Runway Length | 5317 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |