Wreckage Located, But Terrain Hampers Recovery Efforts

Search teams climbed up a treacherous mountainside Wednesday to find the wreckage of a Rockwell 690B Turbo Commander reported down east of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The Associated Press reports the aircraft impacted the side of El Yunque mountain while on approach to land in San Juan. The accident flight departed from Tortola, in the British Virgin Islands.

Three people were reported onboard, pilot Ken Webster and two unidentified American tourists. Puerto Rican Police Agent Carmen Quinones said the plane was "totally destroyed... "I don't think there are any survivors."

Search crews had to turn back after a five-hour hike in rain, fog and soggy underbrush to the accident site, due to a steep upslope that blocked their path. They were able to spot pieces of wreckage, but no sign of survivors.

"We saw pieces of wing and other plane parts," said Jose Escobar of the Rio Grande civil defense force, adding rescuers called out for survivors, but heard no answer.

Witness Jose Saldana said he heard a plane flying low over his restaurant, followed shortly after by two loud explosions. "First it was an impact like when somebody slams the door of a car, and then I heard another boom," Saldana said.

IDENTIFICATION
  Regis#: 318WA        Make/Model: 690B      Description: ROCKWELL INTERNATIONAL 690B
  Date: 12/03/2008     Time: 1213

  Event Type: Accident   Highest Injury: Fatal     Mid Air: N    Missing: N
  Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION

DESCRIPTION
  AIRCRAFT,  INBOUND ON DESCENT,  CRASHED INTO MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, THE THREE
  PERSONS ON BOARD WERE FATALLY INJURED, NEAR RIO GRANDE, SAN JUAN, PUERTO
  RICO

INJURY DATA      Total Fatal:   3
                 # Crew:   1     Fat:   1     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Pass:   2     Fat:   2     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   
                 # Grnd:         Fat:   0     Ser:   0     Min:   0     Unk:   

WEATHER: TJSJ 031556Z 07011KT 10SM FEW030 SCT070 28/18 A3000

OTHER DATA
  Activity: Unknown      Phase: Descent      Operation: OTHER

  FAA FSDO: SOUTH FLORIDA, FL  (SO19)             Entry date: 12/04/2008

FMI: www.faa.gov