Pilot dies in small plane accident in Aguadilla

The small plane crashed Thursday morning in Aguadilla’s San Antonio community after the pilot, who had taken off from Rafael Hernández International Airport following repairs, tried to return after five minutes in the air. (Facebook via Puerto Rico Firefighters Corps)

By The Star Staff

A Cessna small plane crashed on Thursday morning along highway PR-110 in the Maleza Alta neighborhood of Aguadilla, causing the death of the pilot, Wilfredo Juarbe Saldaña, a 47-year-old resident of Luquillo.

The accident occurred at 9:35 a.m. when the plane, which had taken off from Rafael Hernández International Airport in Aguadilla after repairs, tried to return after five minutes in the air. The aircraft hit a structure in the San Antonio community at kilometer 31.8 of the aforementioned roadway.

Lt. Orlando Camacho, director of the Homicide Division of the Aguadilla Criminal Investigation Corps (CIC), confirmed that Juarbe Saldaña was the only person aboard and died instantly. His body was found partially burned.

A cyclist suffered lacerations after falling to the pavement during the accident. Agent Juan Acevedo Rosado and prosecutor Belinda Brignoni were in charge of the scene investigation, while the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the plane crash.