- Date
- January 9, 1993, 15:05 local (20:05 UTC)
- Place
- New Smyrna Bch, FL
- Injuries
- 1 fatal
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Maneuvering
- Aircraft
- N1443SCessna 337H
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 10, 1994
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19930109000229A
- Case key
- 33215
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 pilot-in-command's failure to maintain altitude while maneuvering in a turn at a low altitude, resulting in an in-flight collision with the ocean.
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 airplane was observed flying parallel to the beach in visual meteorological conditions at an altitude estimated less than 100 feet AGL. The airplane began a turn to the left to reverse its direction when the left wing was observed to collide with the water. The airplane was destroyed and the private pilot was fatally injured. Two airplane seats, a check list, and a part of the instrument panel with the airplane registration number on it were recovered from the ocean. The main airplane wreckage was not located.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N1443S
- Reported as
- Cessna 337H
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 33701918
- Airframe hours
- 1,350
- Engine
- Continental IO-360-6B, 210 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Messier, John H.
- Registered owner
- Daytona Aircraft Sales
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 1, 1992
- Departed
- 44J · Daytona Beach, FL
- Destination
- 44J
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
- 71
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Toxicology
- Performed
- Flight hours
- 240 total
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 7 knots
- Lowest ceiling
- 15,000 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 64 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- DAB, 5 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.