Douglas DC-3C accident near St. Petersburg, Florida, June 6, 1982
On June 6, 1982 at about 8:54 pm local time, a Douglas DC-3C, registered N95C, was destroyed in an accident near St. Petersburg, Florida (Clearwater Intl airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 5 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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
- June 6, 1982 · about 8:54 pm local time
- Place
- St. Petersburg, Florida · Clearwater Intl
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 5 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Douglas DC-3C · all DC-3Cs on the register
- Registration
- N95C · no longer on the register · serial 20139
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER A LOCAL MAINTENANCE FLIGHT THE CREW RETURNED TO ST. PETERSBURG TO PRACTICE FULL STOP LANDINGS. SHORTLY AFTER BECOMING AIRBORNE DURING THE 2ND TAKEOFF, THE RIGHT ENG EXPERIENCED A POWER LOSS. THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED TO CLIMB TO ABOUT 50 FT AGL, THEN VEER RIGHT & CRASH EAST OF THE RWY. OTHER THAN A MALFUNCTIONING RIGHT FUEL TANK SELECTOR WHICH ALLOWED FUEL TO BYPASS TO OTHER FUEL TANKS, THERE WAS NO PRE-IMPACT FAILURE/MALFUNCTION. BOTH RIGHT TANKS WERE EMPTY & THE LEFT TANKS CONTAINED ABOUT 175 GALS OF FUEL. HOWEVER, SUBSEQUENT TESTS SHOWED THAT FLUID IN THE RIGHT TANK WOULD BYPASS THE RIGHT FUEL SELECTOR & LEAK INTO THE LEFT TANK WHEN THE ACFT SAT LEFT WING LOW FOR ABOUT 12 HRS. THE ACFT WAS NOT AIRWORTHY IN THAT ALL THE REQUIREMENTS OF AN APPROVED 91.217 INSPECTION PROGRAM WERE NOT COMPLIED WITH. THE PIC HAD 5 HRS AS PIC OF DC-3 DURING THE LAST 5 MONTHS WITH 1 HR & 2 TAKEOFF & LANDINGS THE LAST 90 DAYS. THIS WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT IN A DC-3 FOR THE CO-PILOT WITH NO RECORD OF ANY TRAINING IN THE DC-3.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 8,000 hours in all; 2,500 in this make and model; 55 in the last 90 days; 4 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 15,033 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 26,200 lb
- Seats: 18
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P & W 1830 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Fromhagen Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: PIE St. Petersburg FL at 4:54 pm
- Destination: PIE St. Petersburg FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 7,988 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 203°F (95°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.