- Date
- October 3, 1983, 12:30 local (16:30 UTC)
- Place
- Miami, FL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4860FCessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19831003053919A
- Case key
- 31046
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Fire
Fuselage,crew compartment - smokeCause
Loss of engine power
Reason for occurrence undeterminedCause
Forced landing
Ditching
Analysis
While in a descending spiral the plt stated that the cockpit filled with smoke. He proceeded to turn off the electrical master switch. Shortly aft the eng failed and the acft was ditched in 480 ft of water.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4860F
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17273090
- Airframe hours
- 2,136
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- John F. Whittle
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 18, 1983
- Departed
- FXE · Ft. Lauderdale, FL
- Destination
- APF · Naples, FL
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 40
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Flight hours
- 205 total · 144 in this make and model · 138 as pilot in command · 37 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 60° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 2,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 81 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- 7MB, 19 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.