Aircraft Accident/Incident Report

Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33315
Monday, September 23, 1985 12:42 EDT

NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident

PILOT DITCHED AIRCRAFT IN ATLANTIC OCEAN AFTER LOSING POWER IN BOTH ENGINES. THE THREE OCCUPANTS ESCAPED ININJURIED AND WERE PICKED UP BY A NEARBY BOAT. THE AIRCRAFT SANK IN APPROXIMATELY 800 FEET OF WATER ABOUT 5 MINUTES AFTER DITCHING. POST ACCIDENT INSPECTION OF OPERATOR RECORDS ALONG WITH A STATEMENT FROM THE PREVIOUS PILOT WHO FLEW THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED THAT APPROXIMATELY 26 POUNDS OF FUEL REMAINED ON BOARD THE AIRCRAFT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. CESSNA AIRCRAFT COMPANY REPRESENTATIVE STATED THAT THE CESSNA 402C AIRCRAFT HAS AN UNUSABLE FUEL CAPACITY OF 44.4 POUNDS IN CRITICAL FLIGHT ATTITUDES AND THAT THIS FIGURE IS LOWER IN MORE NORMAL ATTITUDES.

NTSB Probable Cause Narrative

Not Yet Reported

Event Information

Type of Event Accident
Event Date 9/23/1985
Event Day of the Week Monday
Time of Event 1242
Event Time Zone Eastern Daylight Time
Event City FORT LAUDERDALE
Event State FLORIDA
Event Country --
Zipcode of the event site 33315
Event Date Year 1985
Event Date Month 9
MidAir Collision Indicator No
On Ground Collision occurred ? No
Event Location Latitude
Event Location Longitude
Event Location Airport
Event Location Nearest Airport ID
Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport Off Airport/Airstrip
Distance from airport in statute miles 0
Degrees magnetic from airport 0
Airport Elevation 0
Weather Briefing Completeness Unknown
Investigator's weather source Weather Observation Facility
Time of the weather observation 1250 Eastern Daylight Time
Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) 270
Weather Observation Facility ID FLL
Elevation of weather observation facility 11
Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) 6
Time Zone of the weather observation EDT
Lighting Conditions Day
Lowest Ceiling Height 0
Lowest Non-Ceiling Height 3000
Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions Scattered
Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling None
Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) 0
Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) 0
Visibility (Statute Miles) 10
Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) 31
Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) 24
Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) 60
Variable Wind Indicator Unknown
Wind Speed (knots) 5
Wind Velocity Indicator Unknown
Wind Gust Indicator Not Gusting
Wind Gust (knots) 0
Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) 30
Density Altitude (feet) 1800
Intensity of Precipitation Unknown
METAR weather report --
Event Highest Injury None
On Ground, Fatal Injuries 0
On Ground, Minor Injuries 0
On Ground, Serious Injuries 0
Injury Total Fatal --
Injury Total Minor --
Injury Total None 3
Injury Total Serious --
Injury Total All --
Investigating Agency NTSB
NTSB Docket Number (internal use) 2008
NTSB Notification Source --
NTSB Notification Date Sep 23 1985 12:00AM
NTSB Notification Time 1300
Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information 29402
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 9:15AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Basic weather conditions Visual Meteorological Cond
FAA District Office --

Aircraft Involved

Aircraft #1

Aircraft Registration Number N402V
NTSB Number MIA85FA260
Missing Aircraft Indicator N
Federal Aviation Reg. Part Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
Type of Flight Plan filed None
Flight plan Was Activated? --
Damage Destroyed
Aircraft Fire None
Aircraft Explosion None
Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name CESSNA
Aircraft Model 402C
Aircraft Series Identifier 402C
Aircraft Serial Number 402C0337
Certified Max Gross Weight 6850
Aircraft Category Airplane
Aircraft Registration Class U.S. Registered/U.S. Soil
Aircraft is a homebuilt? No
Flight Crew Seats --
Cabin Crew Seats --
Passenger Seats --
Total number of seats on the aircraft 10
Number of Engines 2
Fixed gear or retractable gear Retractable
Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection AAIP
Date of Last Inspection Sep 21 1985 12:00AM
Airframe hours since last inspection 5
Airframe Hours 3338
ELT Installed Yes
ELT Activated No
ELT Aided Location of Event Site No
ELT Type --
Aircraft Owner Name ALLAN F. JONES
Aircraft Owner Street Address C/O GULL AIR INC.
Aircraft Owner City HYANNIS
Aircraft Owner State MA
Aircraft Owner Country
Aircraft Owner Zipcode 02601
Operator is an individual? --
Operator Name GULL AIR, INC.
Operator Same as Owner? No
Operator Is Doing Business As --
Operator Address Same as Owner? No
Operator Street Address BLDG. 1503 PERIMETER ROAD
Operator City W. PALM BEACH
Operator State FL
Operator Country
Operator Zip code 33406
Operator Code GULA
Owner has at least one certificate Yes - certificate holder
Other Operator of large aircraft? No
Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation Unknown
Operator Certificate Number --
Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not Scheduled
Indicates Domestic or International Flight International
Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail Passenger Only
Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) Unknown
Second Pilot on Board No
Departure Point Same as Event No
Departure Airport Code MYGF
Departure City FREEPORT
Departure State OF
Departure Country
Departure Time 1210
Departure Time Zone EDT
Destination Same as Local Flt --
Destination Airport Code FLL
Destination City FT. LAUDERDALE
Destination State FL
Destination Country
Specific Phase of Flight Landing
Report sent to ICAO? --
Evacuation occurred --
Date of most recent change to record Jan 2 2001 10:36AM
User who most recently changed record dbo
Since inspection or accident --
Event Location Runway Number and Location 0
Runway Length 0
Runway Width 0
Sight Seeing flight No
Air Medical Flight No
Medical Flight --