Cessna 336 accident near Key Largo, Florida, January 16, 1983
On January 16, 1983 at about 3:15 am local time, a Cessna 336, registered N1737Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Key Largo, Florida. 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 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
- January 16, 1983 · about 3:15 am local time
- Place
- Key Largo, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 336 · all 336s on the register
- Registration
- N1737Z · no longer on the register · serial 336-0037
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT DITCHED IN SHALLOW WATER 1/2 MI SOUTH OF KEY LARGO, FL WHILE ON A FLIGHT FROM ZEPHYRHILLS, FL TO MARATHON FL. ON 1/13 A FLT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE ACFT FOR A FLT FROM KINGSTON JAMAICA TO TAMPA FL. IT DEPARTED KINSTON AT 0810 WITH ETA TAMPA AT 1610. THE ACFT WAS REPORTED OVERDUE. ON 1/15 THE ACFT WAS OBSERVED ENTERING THE ADIZ ABOUT 90 MILES SOUTH OF THE FLORIDA KEYS. AT ABOUT 2205 WHILE NEAR KEY LARGO THE FLT CALLED MIAMI APPROACH CONTROL TO REQUEST RADAR FLT FOLLOWING TO OPA LOCKA. ABOUT 5 MIN. LATER THE PILOT REQUESTED VECTORS TO THE NEAREST ARPT DUE TO FUEL PROBLEMS. ATC REPORTED PORT LARGO WAS CLOSEST BUT NOT EQUIPPED FOR NIGHT OPERATION. MOMENTS LATER THE PILOT REPORTED AT 4500 FEET AGL AND OUT OF FUEL. SEVERAL EMPTY PLASTIC CONTAINERS WERE FOUND INSIDE THE ACFT.
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: 153 hours in all; 51 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days; 34 in the last 30 days; 118 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,230 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 9, 1982
- Maximum gross weight: 3,900 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MKJK Kingston at 1:10 pm
- Destination: TPA Tampa FL
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.
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.