"...Pilot Transmitted “Mayday Mayday… Loss Of Control… 088 Cessna.”

Location: Cintrona, PR Accident Number: ERA25FA082
Date & Time: December 20, 2024, 14:00 Local Registration: N22088
Aircraft: Cessna 172 Injuries: 1 Fatal
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

On December 20, 2024, about 1400 Atlantic standard time, a Cessna 172S, N22088, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Cintrona, Puerto Rico. The private pilot was fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight.

The airplane departed Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport (TJIG), San Juan, Puerto Rico, and the first ADS-B-derived track data showed that it was about 8 nautical miles (nm) southwest of the airport. The airplane continued to Antonio Rivera Rodríguez Airport (TJVQ), Isla de Vieques, Puerto Rico, where the pilot performed an approach consistent with a touch-and-go landing. The airplane then proceeded to Mercedita Airport (TJPS), Ponce, Puerto Rico where the pilot performed another touch-and-go landing before departing to the north. Shortly after departure from TJPS, a recording of the airport’s common traffic advisory frequency captured that the pilot transmitted “Mayday mayday… loss of control…088 Cessna.” This was followed by a final mayday transmission about 20 seconds later. The last ADS-B track data point was located about 2 nm northeast of the departure end of runway 12 at TJPS and about 0.3 nm northeast of the accident site.

The accident site was located in a mango orchard about 1.8 nautical miles (nm) from the departure end of runway 12 at TJPS. There was debris strewn along a path that was about 360 ft-long, oriented on a magnetic heading of 345°, and at an elevation of 46 ft mean sea level. The initial impact point was about 15 ft up a mango tree. The initial ground impact scar was about 140 ft from the tree impact and contained pieces of wheel fairing embedded in the scar. The main impact crater, which contained the propeller, was about 30 ft from the initial ground impact scar. The tree next to the main impact crater contained pieces of wing leading edge and about a 6-inch diameter branch was impact-separated. The left wing and the left door post were wrapped around a tree about 48 ft past the main impact crater. A branch about 1 ft in diameter was impact-separated, and the tree contained pieces of fuselage and cabin in the canopy. The right wing and engine were located about 75 ft past the left wing and the path was strewn with engine and airframe components. The fuselage and empennage were located about 70 ft past the right wing and engine. 

The cockpit and all instruments/avionics were destroyed. Both wings, the engine, both horizontal stabilizers, and the vertical stabilizer were impact-separated and found along the debris path. Rudder control continuity was established from the flight control horn to the rudder pedals through an impact separation, which displayed fracture features consistent with overload. Elevator control cable continuity was established from the flight control surface bellcrank to the cockpit bellcrank. The elevator trim tab actuator was measured and equated to 5° pitch up. Left and right aileron continuity were confirmed from the control surface bellcranks to the flight controls in the cockpit through multiple impact fractures consistent with overload separation. Aileron balance cable continuity was confirmed from the left aileron bellcrank to the right aileron bellcrank through an impact fracture consistent with overload separation. The overload fractures exhibited broomstraw appearance and unraveling of the control cable. The aileron control yoke chain and cable assembly cable was fractured just below the right yoke chain.

The engine was impact-separated from the fuselage and was found about 150 ft from the initial ground impact scar. The engine exhibited significant impact damage and the induction and exhaust systems were destroyed by impact forces. Both magnetos were impact-separated and found along the debris path; the impulse couplings snapped when the drive was rotated by hand. The ignition key was found in the both position. All major accessories, except for the engine-driven fuel pump were impact separated and found strewn throughout the debris path. 

The engine-driven fuel pump remained secure to the accessory case. The propeller was buried about 8 inches in the dirt at the main impact crater. The propeller blades exhibited S bending, leading edge polishing, and chordwise scratching.

The wreckage was retained for further examination. 

FMI: www.ntsb.gov