Plane Crash List

Pilatus BN-2 ISLANDER N26JA

7 August 1997 · Fajardo · Serious injuries

Summary

On 7 August 1997 at about 16:48 local time, a Pilatus BN-2 ISLANDER registered N26JA was involved in an accident near Fajardo. 14 people were on board and one was seriously injured, 5 had minor injuries. 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 16:48
Classification
Accident
Location
Fajardo
Nearest airport
Diego Jimenez Torres (X95)
Coordinates
Not recorded
Aircraft
Pilatus BN-2 ISLANDER
Registration
N26JA
Category
Airplane
Engines
2
Operator
Not recorded
Operating rule
Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Purpose of flight
Unknown
Phase of flight
Not recorded
Route
Culebra → Unknown
Aircraft damage
Substantial
Weather
VMC
Light
Day
NTSB number
ATL97FA113

People

1 person was seriously injured.

On board Died Serious Minor Uninjured
14 0 1 5 8

Probable cause

The inadequate visual lookout of the pilot of N1202S which resulted in the overtaking of and collision with N26JA

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

On August 7, 1997, about 1248 Atlantic Standard Time, two Britten-Norman BN-2 airplanes, collided in flight, over the landing threshold of runway 08, at the Diego Jimenez Airport, Fajardo, Puerto Rico (PR). Both airplanes were conducting a visual approach at the uncontrolled airport. The pilot of N1202S, was executing a non-standard right traffic pattern approach to landing, while the pilot of N26JA was executing a standard left traffic pattern approach to landing. The airplanes collided over the approach threshold of runway 08, about 100 feet agl. Passengers on N26JA, stated that the other airplane was coming from the right much lower then their airplane and disappeared under them. The next time they saw the other airplane they were colliding into its tail section. Examination of both airplanes revealed no mechanical discrepancies.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.

Aircraft involved

Aircraft Registration Operator Damage
Pilatus BN-2 ISLANDER BN-2 ISLAN N26JA - Substantial
Pilatus BN-2 ISLANDER BN-2 ISLAN N1202S - Substantial