1972 Puerto Rico DC-7 crash
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A DC-7CF similar to the accident aircraft
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| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | 31 December 1972 |
| Summary | Double engine failure on take-off |
| Site |
Pinones, near Isla Verde 18°27′45″N 65°57′30″W / 18.46250°N 65.95833°WCoordinates: 18°27′45″N 65°57′30″W / 18.46250°N 65.95833°W |
| Passengers | 2 |
| Crew | 3 |
| Fatalities | 5 (all) |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Aircraft type | Douglas DC-7CF |
| Operator | American Express Leasing |
| Registration | N500AE |
| Flight origin | San Juan-Isla Verde International Airport (SJU/TJSJ), Puerto Rico |
| Destination | Managua Airport (MGA/MNMG), Nicaragua |
The 1972 Puerto Rico DC-7 Crash was an airplane accident that happened on December 31, 1972, in Carolina, Puerto Rico. The crash is most notable for claiming the life of Pittsburgh Pirates star Roberto Clemente.
Roberto Clemente was a baseball star for the Pittsburgh Pirates, having won two World Series championships with them, and becoming only the 11th player in the sport's history to collect 3,000 hits on September 30, 1972, in what ultimately turned out to be his last at bat in Baseball's Major Leagues. During October 1972, he went to Managua, Nicaragua to coach the Puerto Rico national baseball team during that year's Amateur Baseball World Series.
Only two months after Clemente's visit, on December 23, an earthquake in Managua took place, causing the deaths of 5,000 persons and devastation to Nicaragua's capital. Many countries sent help but Nicaraguan President Anastasio Somoza Debayle and his government personnel were suspected of stealing goods sent to Nicaragua. This made Clemente desire to send help, paid for with his own money, and to go and supervise the delivery of goods himself. Clemente had been convinced to involve himself in the relief efforts by local television show host, reporter and celebrity Luis Vigoreaux.
This accident caused the deaths of all five people on board, including Baseball Hall of Fame member Roberto Clemente. The airplane crashed immediately after take-off from Isla Verde International Airport, falling into the beach at the adjacent area known as Pinones.
Clemente leased an aircraft from a local airline, American Express Leasing (also named "American Air Express" by some sources), owned by a Puerto Rican whose name was Arthur J. Rivera. Unknown to Clemente, the company's aircraft, a DC-7, had suffered a non-fatal accident just 29 days before the fateful flight took place.
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