Clemente spent much of his time during the off-season involved in charity work . When Managua , the capital city of Nicaragua , was affected by a massive earthquake on December 23 , 1972 , Clemente ( who visited Managua three weeks before the quake ) immediately set to work arranging emergency relief flights . He soon learned , however , that the aid packages on the first three flights had been diverted by corrupt officials of the Somoza government , never reaching victims of the quake . He decided to accompany the fourth relief flight , hoping that his presence would ensure that the aid would be delivered to the survivors . The airplane he chartered for a New Year 's Eve flight , a Douglas DC-7 cargo plane , had a history of mechanical problems and an insufficient number of flight personnel ( missing both a flight engineer and copilot ) , and was overloaded by 4,200 pounds . It crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Isla Verde , Puerto Rico immediately after takeoff on December 31 , 1972 due to engine failure
massive earthquake
1972 Nicaragua earthquake
Roberto Clemente