- Date
- March 31, 1985, 00:00 local (05:00 UTC)
- Place
- Rockledge, FL
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Unknown
- Aircraft
- N5180SPiper PA-28-180
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850331066709A
- Case key
- 31237
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
On March 31, 1985 the rental acft departed merritt island flon April 1, 1985 the acft was found crashed near Rockledge FL. No evidence of pre-existing airframe or powerplant failure was found. The acft impactd the ground in a high velocity 40 degree nose down attitude. An interview with persons who had been with the pilot during the previous day andnight revealed that he had been emotionally distraught over an apparent occasion of medical problems.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5180S
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-180
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- PA-28-180
- Airframe hours
- 3,332
- Engine
- Lycoming O&VO-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Merritt Island Air Servicew
- Registered owner
- Franklin Plezia
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · March 6, 1985 · 33 hours before
- Departed
- COI · Merritt Island, FL
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 43
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Unknown
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 650 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 200° at 8 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MLB, 22 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.