Cessna 337 accident near Melbourne, Florida, May 27, 2015
On May 27, 2015 at about 8:25 pm local time, a 1970 Cessna 337, registered N1732M, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi near Melbourne, Florida (Melbourne Intl airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control while taxiing as a result of his impairment due to alcohol ingestion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 27, 2015 · about 8:25 pm local time
- Place
- Melbourne, Florida · Melbourne Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 337 F, built 1970 · all 337s on the register
- Registration
- N1732M · registry record · serial 33701332
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While taxiing, the private pilot did not follow the controller's instructions and his speech was slurred. The airplane then taxied off the end of a taxiway and turned right toward a building that was located about 200 ft away and abeam the taxiway end. The airplane impacted the building and an adjacent communications antenna, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing. Law enforcement personnel arrived about 15 minutes later and detected an odor of alcohol from the pilot. A search of the airplane revealed an unopened bottle of wine, one half-full bottle of liquor, and an open water bottle that contained a clear liquid with an odor of alcohol. The pilot refused to take an alcohol breathalyzer and field sobriety test. He was subsequently taken into custody and charged under a state statute for operation of an aircraft while intoxicated. Examination of the airplane did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during taxi defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during taxi
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- factor Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Alcohol › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Airport structure › Ability to respond/compensate
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,238 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: unk
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 4,630 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Cont Motor IO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Cont Motor IO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MLB Melbourne FL at 8:25 pm
- Destination: Dayton OH
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,500 ft; scat at 3,600 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from KMLB, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on June 14, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Excerpts from Police Report | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Photo | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record - Conversation with FAA Inspector and Airport Operations Director | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.