- Date
- April 19, 1985, 17:26 local (22:26 UTC)
- Place
- Miami, FL
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Uncontrolled descent
- Aircraft
- N6984YPiper PA-23-250
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19850419013749A
- Case key
- 31388
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 plt stated that he permitted a non-plt pax to close the cabin door & he, the plt did not check it. Shortly after liftoff the landing gear was retracted & the door popped open. The pax turned in his seat to close the door & bumped the yoke forcing the acft back to the rwy. The plt stated the accident could have been avoided if he had checked the door himself & had he not retracted the gear so soon after takeoff.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N6984Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-23-250
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 27-4353
- Engine
- Lycoming TIO-540-C4B5, 250 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Seymour Gelzer
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 15, 1984
- Departed
- TMB
- Destination
- FLL · Ft.Lauderdale, FL
- Airport
- Tamiami
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
- 28
- Certificate
- Airline transport
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 4,980 total · 168 in this make and model · 2,956 as pilot in command · 180 in the last 90 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 100° at 10 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 77 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- TMB
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.