- Date
- February 3, 1985, 04:00 local (09:00 UTC)
- Place
- Key Largo, FL
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N5103YPiper PA-23-250
- Weather
- Night/dark
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850203001459A
- Case key
- 31226
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.
Analysis
The aircraft crashed into the waters of the atlantic ocean and sank nose first into 15 feet of water. On impact the 25 bales of marijuana located in the cabin of the aircraft shifted forward and pinned the pilot and passenger in the aircraft. No usable fuel was found in the aircraft and no fuel was reported to have leaked from the aircraft. The destination or origin of the flight could not be determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5103Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 27-2128
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-A1D5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Part 91
- Registered owner
- Beta Equipo Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
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
- 42
- Certificates
- Commercial, Flight instructor
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Single-engine sea, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 5,000 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Night/dark
- Wind
- 170° at 1 knots
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TMB, 40 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.