Aero Commander 680 accident near Titusville, Florida, May 12, 1983
On May 12, 1983 at about 4:05 pm local time, a Aero Commander 680, registered N6880S, was destroyed in an accident near Titusville, Florida. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 12, 1983 · about 4:05 pm local time
- Place
- Titusville, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander 680 · all 680s on the register
- Registration
- N6880S · no longer on the register · serial 680-403-80
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WITNESSES SAW THE ACFT BRIEFLY BEFORE IT CRASHED. ONE WITNESS SAW THE ACFT FLYING TOWARD A DARK CLOUD AT AN UNKNOWN ALT, BUT TOO HIGH TO FLY UNDER IT. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, HE HEARD THE ENG NOISE INCREASE & DECREASE, THEN INCREASE UNTIL IT WAS LOUD. HE THEN HEARD WHAT SOUNDED LIKE AN EXPLOSION. HE DID NOT SEE THE CRASH, BUT SAW SMOKE FROM THE CRASH. SITE. A WOMAN CLOSE TO THE CRASH SITE SAID THE WX WAS VERY WINDY, HEAVY RAIN WAS FALLING & VISIBILITY WAS RESTRICTED. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED THE OUTBOARD WING PANELS HAD FAILED FROM POSITIVE OVERLOADS & THE LEFT HORIZONTAL STABILIZER HAD FAILED DOWNWARD. THESE PARTS WERE FOUND 3/4 TO 1 MI FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE. PRIOR TO THE FLT, A PASSENGER, WHO PAID FOR FUEL & MINOR MAINTENANCE, SAID THE PURPOSE OF THE FLT WAS FOR SURVEYING. HOWEVER, NO SURVEYING EQUIPMENT WAS ON BOARD. SHERIFF PERSONNEL SAID THE ACFT WAS UNDER SURVEILLANCE FOR AN ILLEGAL OPERATION.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,700 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 7,000 lb
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming GSO-480-B1A6 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: EUF Eufaula AL at 1:30 pm
- Destination: HWO Hollywood FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: overcast; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.