1972 Puerto Rico DC-7 crash
A DC-7CF similar to the aircraft that crashed | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | 31 December 1972; 52 years, 5 months ago |
| Summary | Single engine failure on takeoff |
| Site | Piñones, near Isla Verde 18°27′45″N 65°57′30″W / 18.46250°N 65.95833°W |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Douglas DC-7CF |
| Operator | American Express Leasing |
| Registration | N500AE (NTSB listed as previous N23N) |
| Flight origin | Isla Verde International Airport, San Juan |
| Destination | Las Mercedes Airport, Managua |
| Passengers | 3 |
| Crew | 2 |
| Fatalities | 5 |
| Survivors | 0 |
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The 1972 Puerto Rico DC-7 crash was an aviation accident that occurred on December 31, 1972, in Carolina, Puerto Rico. As a result of inadequate maintenance, the aircraft's No. 2 engine failed after takeoff. After initiating a turn to return to the airport, the aircraft eventually descended into, or attempted to ditch into, the ocean a mile offshore. All five people on board died, including baseball legend Roberto Clemente. The crash site was listed on the US National Register of Historic Places in 2022.