Beech D18S accident near Dania, Florida, April 28, 1983
On April 28, 1983 at about 11:35 pm local time, a Beech D18S, registered N213S, was destroyed in an accident near Dania, Florida (Ft. Lauderdale airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 28, 1983 · about 11:35 pm local time
- Place
- Dania, Florida · Ft. Lauderdale · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech D18S · all D18Ss on the register
- Registration
- N213S · registry record · serial 52-10936
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT CRASHED IN A WOODED AREA DURING A FORCED LANDING FOLLOWING A POWER LOSS ON BOTH OF ITS ENGINES. THE ACFT HAD BEEN FLOWN TO BIMINI FROM OPA-LOCKA, FL. ABOUT 75 GALLONS OF FUEL WAS DRAINED FROM THE ACFT. UPON THE RETURN TO FT LAUDERDALE, FL, THE LANDING GEAR HAD TO BE MANUALLY OPERATED BECAUSE OF A KNOWN PRE-EXISTING ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. THISALSO PRECLUDED RADIO COMMUNICATIONS. UPON EXECUTING A TOUCH AND GO LANDING AT FT LAUDERDALE THE FUEL PRESSURE LIGHTS WHICH HAD BEEN FLICKERING NOW CAME ON STEADY ON THE RIGHT ENGINE. THE PLT CUT THE MIXTURE ON THAT ENGINE AT 500 FT AGL. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THE LEFT ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND IT QUIT ALSO. THE ACFT WAS CRASH LANDED. POST ACCIDENT EXAMINATION REVEALED THAT ALL FUEL TANKS WERE EMPTY. THE ACFT OWNER SAID THE ACFT HAD 145 GALLONS ON BOARD PRIOR TO LEAVING FLORIDA.THE ACFT FLEW ABOUT 1 HOUR AND 2O MINUTES AT 50 GALLONS AN HOUR PLUS OFFLOADING 75 GALLONS AT BIMINI.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 910 hours in all; 167 in this make and model; 100 in the last 90 days; 770 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,654 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 12, 1982; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 9,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W R-985-14B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MYBS Bimini at 7:00 pm
- Destination: FLL Ft. Lauderdale FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9R, 5,316 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 080° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:42 pm from FLL, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MIA83FA133.