Prinair
San Juan airport
Prin Air was a Puerto Rican airline. As a flag carrier of the country led for almost two decades by national and international flights.
History
The flight operations in 1966, first recorded under the name Aerolíneas de Ponce ( Ponce Airlines) with a fleet of Aero Commander 500 aircraft. The first air link led from Mercedita Airport in Ponce to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (then Isla Verde International Airport ) in San Juan. The following year, the name of the airline was changed to Prinair derived from Puerto Rico International Airlines.
Later, the airline used to operate their routes which operated by a reciprocating engine De Havilland Heron aircraft, which were reminiscent of the Braniff International Airways aircraft due to their colorful painting. In the 70s, the expansion and routes followed was both to various destinations in the Caribbean, such as Martinique, the Virgin Islands, Santo Domingo, Barbados, Puerto Plata and domestic connections to Vieques, Mayaguez and Aguadilla, as well as to Opa- locka in Miami in Florida expanded.
In the 1980s led Prinair larger, more powerful Convair 580, a turboprop aircraft. This mainly served the route from San Juan to the Virgin Islands, where they were initially able to increase the profits. Due to increasing competition from Aero Virgin Islands and Oceanair on this route and various accidents which negatively impacted the image of Prinair, the airline but had to cease flying in November 1984. In early 2000 Prinair was newly established, however, had a short time to flight operations set again.
Incidents
Prinair suffered in its history, three serious accidents and two hijackings.
On March 5, 1969 Prinair launched flight 277 in Saint Thomas for a flight to San Juan, as the cockpit crew 17 minutes after lift-off anfunkte the approach control of San Juan. The duty air traffic controller - to being in training - replied: " Prinair Two Seven Seven, San Juan Approach Control, your position is, according to radar three miles east of Isla Verde, stay at 4000 feet " ( " Prinair Two Seven Seven, San Juan Approach Control, radar contact three miles east of Isla Verde ... maintain four thousand. " ) However, the aircraft was located three miles east of Fajardo waypoint held on the 19 miles west of him lying Isla Verda waypoint. The plane crashed six minutes later at an altitude of 2400 feet the mountains of the Sierra de Luquillo from, all 19 occupants were killed. The accident investigation revealed that air traffic control was responsible for the accident.
On June 24, 1972 Prinair Flight 191 crashed after touchdown and a failed go-around at Mercedita Airport in Ponce from. Here were a total of five of the twenty inmates, of which the two pilots were killed. In an accident investigation it was determined that a befindliches be disabled vehicle on the runway the go around. A three years later investigation carried out showed that at the time no vehicle had been on the runway and the go-around was made for no reason.
Prinair Flight 610 crashed a few seconds after the start in Saint Croix on 24 July 1979 in which eight people were killed. The accident investigation revealed that the aircraft 480 kg ( 1,060 pounds ) has been over loaded and the focus was 8 cm behind the ceiling.
Fleet
- 28 de Havilland Heron
- 4 Convair CV -580
- 7 CASA C -212 Aviocar