- Date
- January 13, 1992, 18:11 local (23:11 UTC)
- Place
- Atlantic Ocean (Atlantic Ocean)
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N121LCessna 172G
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920113023819A
- Case key
- 33053
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
Loss of engine power due to undetermined reasons.
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 flt departed with full fuel tanks. During cruise flt at 1,200 ft, 3 hrs 11 minutes later, the plt reported that the eng began to miss. Attempts to correct were unsuccessful. The condition continued & the acft began to shake violently and oily smoke entered the cockpit. The plt ditched the acft and it sank in 2,500 ft of water. Both occupants exited with no injuries but the pax reportedly lost his lifejacket during the egression. The acft was not recovered. The acft was equipped, as required, with a 4-person liferaft & manually operated emergency position indicating radio beacon, both of which were positioned in the baggage compartment but were not recovered before the acft sank. The pax was not required to be medically certificated. According to a lawyer representing his estate, he had undergone a cardiac triple bypass in nov 89, & was taking medication for high blood pressure & diabetes.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N121L
- Reported as
- Cessna 172G
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17254798
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A1A, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Fire
- Unknown
- Flight
- Public aircraft · Part 91
- Operator
- Crowe, John H.
- Registered owner
- Crowe, John H.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 6, 1991
- Departed
- BCT · Boca Raton, 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
- 76
- Certificate
- Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land, Multi-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 2,619 total · 2,000 in this make and model · 2,414 as pilot in command · 45 in the last 90 days · 10 in the last 30 days · 3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Dusk
- Wind
- 140° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 75 °F, dew point 72 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- EYW, 28 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.