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.
[64] 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.
[65] He decided to accompany the fourth relief flight, hoping that his presence would ensure that the aid would be delivered to the survivors.
[66] 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.
[67] 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.
[68]
A few days after the crash, the body of the pilot and part of the fuselage of the plane were found. An empty flight case apparently belonging to Clemente was the only personal item recovered from the plane. Clemente's teammate and close friend
Manny Sanguillén was the only member of the Pirates not to attend Roberto's memorial service. The Pirates catcher chose instead to dive into the waters where Clemente's plane had crashed in an effort to find his teammate. The bodies of Clemente and three others who were also on the four-engine plane were never recovered.
[68]
Montreal Expos pitcher
Tom Walker, then playing
winter league ball in Puerto Rico (in a league later named after Clemente), helped him load the plane. Because Clemente wanted Walker, who was single, to go enjoy New Year's,
[69] Clemente told him not to join him on the flight. Walker's son is professional baseball player
Neil Walker.
[70]
