Piper PA-28-140 incident near Near Melbourne, Florida, March 8, 1982
On March 8, 1982 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N3505Q, suffered minor damage in an incident near Near Melbourne, Florida. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. 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 incident. 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
- March 8, 1982 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Near Melbourne, Florida · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N3505Q · no longer on the register · serial 28 7725230
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRCRAFT HAD BEEN IN THE PRACTICE AREA SOUTHWEST OF MELBOURNE, FL DOING COMMERCIAL FLIGHT CHECK MANEUVERS FOR ABOUT 1 HOUR. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, AFTER COMPLETING HIS MANEUVERS HE CIRCLED A LAKE ONCE AT 1000' AGL AND THEN HEADED TOWARD MELBOURNE. AS HE APPLIED POWER TO CLIMB TO A HIGHER ALTITUDE THE ENGINE QUIT. AFTER ATTEMPTING TO RESTART THE ENGINE, THE PILOT EXECUTED AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN A PLOWED FIELD. MINOR DAMAGE WAS SUSTAINED TO THE NOSE GEAR AND LOWER ENGINE COWL. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FLOWN OUT OF THE FIELD AFTER THE NECESSARY REPAIRS WERE MADE. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE REVEALED NO DISCREPANCIES AND THE CAUSE OF THE POWER LOSS WAS NOT DETERMINED.
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: 120 hours in all; 113 in this make and model; 26 in the last 90 days; 71 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,025 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 21 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Fit Aviation INC
The flight
- Departed from: Near Melbourne FL at 1:10 pm
- Destination: Near Melbourne FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 147°F (64°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:56 pm from MLB, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N3505Q the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.