- Date
- December 7, 1989, 13:48 local (17:48 UTC)
- Place
- Atlantic Ocean (Atlantic Ocean)
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N8785BCessna 172
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report April 2, 1991
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19891207049219A
- Case key
- 32606
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The engine seized from oil starvation (lack of oil or oil pressure), which resulted in the aircraft being ditched at sea.
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
During an overwater flight, about 20 mi southeast of mayaguana island, the oil pressure dropped to zero PSI. The plt transmitted a distress message (mayday), which was forwarded to the coast guard, & continued toward the island. A short time later, the eng seized & the acft was ditched approximately 15 mi from shore. The plt & his passenger egressed from the acft as it sank & inflated their life jackets. They saw several coast guard acft fly over their position & they tried to signal for help, but they were not sighted. They swam toward the shore, but the passenger died before reaching it. After reaching the beach the next day, the plt saw fishermen & was rescued. The wreckage was not recovered from the Ocean.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8785B
- Reported as
- Cessna 172
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 36485
- Airframe hours
- 2,819
- Engine
- Continental O-300-A, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Gonzalez (Jr., Richard
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · August 1, 1989 · 20 hours before
- Departed
- MBGT · Grand Turk, OF
- Destination
- MYEG · Georgetown, OF
- Flight plan
- VFR
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
- 38
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 3,500 total · 1,200 in this make and model · 3,500 as pilot in command · 60 in the last 90 days · 25 in the last 30 days · 5 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 11 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point -0 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.