- Date
- January 13, 1992, 18:23 local (23:23 UTC)
- Place
- Homestead, FL
- Injuries
- 2 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N2606YPiper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920113000509A
- Case key
- 32976
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 non-instrument rated pilot's continued VFR flight into instrument flight conditions resulting in spatial disorientation and inflight loss of control.
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
Non-instrument rated plt was flying northbound over biscayne bay at night. Wx was 1500 to 2500 sct with rainshowers. Flt was radio and radar contact with miami approach and was observed to fly erratic heading and altitude. Plt reported to ATC he was losing control. Ground witnesses on sail boat in harbor of boca chita island reported seeing acft descending at 45 degree nose down attitude and crash into bay. Post crash exam of wreckage revealed no evidence of failure or malfunction of acft structure, flt controls, engine, or vacuum system. Plt logbook was not located after accident and recency of experience for night flight and instrument flight could not be determined.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N2606Y
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-8616045
- Airframe hours
- 3,788
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Boca Flight Center, Inc.
- Registered owner
- Boca Flight Center, Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 3, 1992 · 32 hours before
- Departed
- X09 · Key Largo, FL
- Destination
- FLL · Ft. Lauderdale, 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
- 37
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 250 total · 225 in this make and model · 160 as pilot in command · 15 in the last 90 days · 5 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 180° at 2 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 73 °F, dew point 70 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- HST, 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.