Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Bradley, Florida 33835
Wednesday, December 26, 1984 20:20 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
THE PLT COMPLETED A 30 MIN INSURANCE CHECK FLT, THEN LOADED THE ACFT WITH BAGGAGE/PAX & DEPARTED DECAUTER, IL ON A FLT TO NAPLES, FL. A REFUELING STOP WAS MADE AT COLUMBUS, GA. AT 1750 THE ACFT DEPARTED COLUMBUS & CRUISED UNEVENTFULLY UNTIL SOMETIME AFTER 1927 (AFTER THE PLT CONTACTED ARTCC & REPORTED MAINTAINING 9000'). STARTING AT 1953, ATTEMPTS TO CONTACT THE ACFT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL; BUT THE ACFT CONTINUED ON ITS ROUTE UNTIL 2018, THEN IT ENTERED A RGT DESCENDING TURN. RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST AT 2019 AFTER MORE VARIATIONS IN HDG & ALT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT EXPERIENCED AN IN-FLT BREAKUP. AT THAT TIME, THE ACFT WAS BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN APRX 188 LBS OVER ITS MAX WT LMT & 0.4 INCH BEHIND ITS AFT CG LMT. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE SHOWED EVIDENCE OF POSITIVE OVERLOAD FAILURE OF THE WINGS & STABILATORS. THERE WAS EVIDENCETHAT THE ALTERNATOR LIGHT WAS ON, BUT THE ALTERNATOR, VOLTAGE REGULATOR & OVERVOLTAGE RELAY CHECKED GOOD. AT 2030, RADARDATA SHOWED PRECIP & CLD TOPS TO 14,000'. THE PLT HAD NOT MET THE IFR REQUIREMENTS OF 14 CFR 61.57.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
Not Yet Reported
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 12/26/1984 |
| Event Day of the Week | Wednesday |
| Time of Event | 2020 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | BRADLEY |
| Event State | FLORIDA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 33835 |
| Event Date Year | 1984 |
| Event Date Month | 12 |
| 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 | 1952 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 280 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | TPA |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 27 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | 30 |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Night/Dark |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | 4500 |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | 4500 |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Unknown |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | Broken |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | 0 |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | 0 |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 15 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 24 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | 19 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 80 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 10 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | Unknown |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Not Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 0 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | 830 |
| Intensity of Precipitation | Light |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | 0 |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | 0 |
| Injury Total Fatal | 6 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 6 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 3238 |
| NTSB Notification Source | -- |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | 0 |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | 27403 |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 26 2001 8:35AM |
| User who most recently changed record | dbo |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N8227J |
| NTSB Number | MIA85MA064 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | N |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | IFR |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Destroyed |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-32R-301 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | PA-32R-301 |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 32R8313019 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 3615 |
| 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 | 7 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Retractable |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Dec 17 1984 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 161 |
| Airframe Hours | 6927 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | No |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | -- |
| Aircraft Owner Name | SWARTZ RESTAURANT CORP. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | 204 N. 22ND ST. |
| Aircraft Owner City | DECATUR |
| Aircraft Owner State | IL |
| Aircraft Owner Country | |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 62521 |
| Operator is an individual? | -- |
| Operator Name | DECATUR AVIATION |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | P.O. BOX 990 |
| Operator City | DECATUR |
| Operator State | IL |
| Operator Country | |
| Operator Zip code | 62525 |
| Operator Code | |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| 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 | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | CSG |
| Departure City | COLUMBUS |
| Departure State | GA |
| Departure Country | |
| Departure Time | 1750 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | -- |
| Destination Airport Code | APF |
| Destination City | NAPLES |
| Destination State | FL |
| Destination Country | |
| Specific Phase of Flight | Descent |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Feb 26 2001 8:07AM |
| 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 | -- |