Hernandez Challenger SPECIAL II N113JM
3 August 1996 · Toa Baja · Serious injuries
Summary
On 3 August 1996 at about 14:40 local time, a Hernandez Challenger SPECIAL II registered N113JM, operated by Rafael R. Mena, was involved in an accident near Toa Baja. One person was on board and one was seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 14:40
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Toa Baja
- Nearest airport
- Private Strip
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Hernandez Challenger SPECIAL II
- Registration
- N113JM
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- Rafael R. Mena
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Aircraft damage
- Substantial
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- MIA96LA201
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
water contamination in the fuel system, which resulted in a partial loss of engine power shortly after takeoff. Factors relating to the accident were: the lack of a quick draining feature in the fuel system, the pilot's failure (or inability) to detect water contamination in the fuel system during preflight inspection, and high obstruction(s) in the emergency landing area.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot stated that before takeoff, he performed a preflight inspection of the home built airplane and made an engine run-up, but no discrepancies were noted. After takeoff, about 200 feet above ground level, the engine rpm dropped (uncommanded) from 6,300 to 2,000, and the pilot was unable to restore power. He initiated an emergency descent for a forced landing. As the pilot was maneuvering to avoid an obstruction, the airplane stalled and impacted the ground. An investigation revealed that the airplane's fuel tank had no provision for quick draining of fuel during a preflight inspection to check for contaminants. A sample of fuel was taken by disconnecting the fuel line to the carburetor, and water contamination was found. Also, water was found in the carburetor.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.