Investigation Summary
The aircraft was nearly brand new, having been delivered to the airline only two months prior and accumulating just 354 flying hours. Shortly after departing runway 16, the crew reported a flameout of the right engine and initiated an emergency return to Las Américas International Airport. During the turn, the left engine also failed, leaving the aircraft without thrust. The DC-9 entered a steep descent and impacted the water approximately two miles south of the airport. Recovery efforts were hampered by the depth of the crash site, which reached 300 meters, and neither the Cockpit Voice Recorder nor the Flight Data Recorder were ever recovered. Despite the lack of recorded data, investigators focused on the fuel supply, concluding that a significant quantity of water had entered the fuel system, leading to the dual engine failure.
Final Conclusions
The investigation concluded that the probable cause was the sequential failure of both Pratt & Whitney JT8D-7 engines due to fuel contamination. Water ingress into the fuel supply led to the flameouts shortly after takeoff. While the exact mechanism of how the water entered the fuel was not definitively proven due to the loss of the recorders and limited wreckage recovery, the dual-engine failure pattern is consistent with contaminated fuel reaching the engines during the high-demand takeoff and climb phase.
Photographic Evidence (1)
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Systems & Failure Modes
Pratt & Whitney JT8D-7 Engines
The aircraft's two turbofan engines both suffered flameouts due to the ingestion of water-contaminated fuel.
Fuel System
Contamination by water ingress caused the sequential failure of the fuel supply to both engines.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft had been in service with Dominicana for approximately two months at the time of the accident.
- 02The crash was the deadliest aviation accident in the Dominican Republic until 1996.
- 03Notable victims included world lightweight boxing champion Carlos Teo Cruz and the Puerto Rico National Women's Volleyball Team.
- 04The wreckage sank to a depth of approximately 300 meters.
- 05Neither the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) nor the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) was recovered.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Fuel Quality Oversight
The accident highlighted the critical necessity of rigorous fuel testing and storage procedures to prevent water contamination in jet fuel supplies.
Known Controversies & Unanswered Questions
Initial Sabotage Suspicions
Reference ↗Early in the investigation, there were concerns of a terrorist attack or sabotage because the family of Antonio Imbert Barrera, a key figure in the assassination of Rafael Trujillo, was on board. However, no evidence of an explosion or criminal act was found.