N863VL - 1979 Britten-norman BN2A-26 Islander Aircraft Registration

N863VL is a 1979 Britten-norman BN2A-26 ISLANDER, a twin-engine reciprocating (piston) aircraft registered to Vieques Air Link in Vieques, PR. This aircraft holds a standard airworthiness certificate issued by the Federal Aviation Administration on December 27, 1989. The registration certificate was issued on July 25, 1996. The registration is set to expire on January 31, 2028. Powered by a Lycoming 0-540 SERIES engine producing 250 horsepower, N863VL is. The aircraft's Mode S transponder code is ABDBE2 (hex), used for ADS-B identification and flight tracking. N863VL was last tracked by AviatorDB at coordinates 18.1348, -65.4936 on July 29, 2025. The FAA registry record for N863VL was last updated on April 14, 2023. AviatorDB monitors aircraft positions through ADS-B surveillance data and updates records as new position data is received.

The Britten-Norman BN-2A Mk3 Trislander was a unique three-engine utility aircraft developed as an enlarged derivative of the successful Islander to serve remote airstrips and inter-island routes. First flown on September 11, 1970, it was a high-wing monoplane powered by three 260-horsepower Lycoming piston engines, with seating for up to 18 passengers in a stretched fuselage measuring 2.3 meters longer than its Islander predecessor. The aircraft featured exceptional short takeoff and landing capabilities for operations from rough, unprepared airstrips. Built by Britten-Norman on the Isle of Wight, it earned the nickname "Belgian DC-10" for its distinctive tail-mounted third engine. AviatorDB tracks 51 Britten-norman aircraft currently registered in the FAA database. The ICAO type designator for this aircraft model is TRIS.

AviatorDB has found no NTSB accident or incident reports involving N863VL. AviatorDB cross-references all FAA registration data with NTSB accident and incident reports, providing a comprehensive safety overview for every registered aircraft in the United States.