- Date
- March 24, 1985, 08:00 local (13:00 UTC)
- Place
- Everglades, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8773LPiper PA-25-235
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850324011209A
- Case key
- 31375
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 acft was on a flt over the Everglades at aprx 500 ft AGL, when the eng began to run rough & decreased to about 1200 RPM. During a forced landing, the acft fuel system burst before the acft came to rest & a fire erupted. The plt exited the acft & attempted to extinguish the flames with negative results. He then walked for about 6 hrs thru the Everglades park before being rescued. The acft was destroyed by fire & was abandoned.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8773L
- Reported as
- Piper PA-25-235
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 25-5258
- Airframe hours
- 3,271
- Engine
- Lycoming O-540-B2G5, 235 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Fire
- On-Ground
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Orlando Cordero
- Airworthiness certificate
- Special, Restricted (Special)
- Last inspection
- Annual · July 11, 1984 · 8 hours before
- Departed
- X51 · Homestead, 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
- 52
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Center
- Flight hours
- 3,800 total · 275 in this make and model · 62 in the last 90 days · 6 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 10,000 ft broken
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 54 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TMB, 12 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.
Other investigations on N8773L · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.