Piper PA-12 accident near Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, December 22, 1983
On December 22, 1983 at about 10:51 pm local time, a Piper PA-12, registered N7510H, was destroyed in an accident near Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (Executive airport). It was an other work-use flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. 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
- December 22, 1983 · about 10:51 pm local time
- Place
- Ft. Lauderdale, Florida · Executive
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-12 · all PA-12s on the register
- Registration
- N7510H · registry record · serial 12-371
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Other work-use flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT CRASHED ON THE ARPT IN A STEEP NOSE DOWN ATTITUDE AFTER DROPPING A BANNER IT WAS TOWING. THE PLT WAVED TO THE GROUND PERSONNEL AND TURNED IN A 60 DEGREE BANK NOSE HIGH TURN. AFTER 180 DEGREES OF TURN THE ACFT STALLED, THE NOSEFELL THROUGH AND THE ACFT DOVE TO THE GROUND FROM ABOUT 150 FT AGL. THE ACFT CAME TO REST 60 FT FROM INITIAL IMPACT POINT WITH THE AFT FUSELAGE AND EMPENNAGE EXTENDING UPWARD ABOUT 40 DEGREES FROM HORIZONTAL. THE EMPLOYER OF THE PLT HAD DISCUSSED HIS STEEP TURNS AND ASKED HIM TO WIDEN HIS PATTERN FOR SAFETY ONLY A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE ACCIDENT. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF PRE-IMPACT FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE AIRCRAFT.
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; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,524 hours in all; 605 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days; 1,295 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,960 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 16, 1982; 800 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 1
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-A2B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from FXE
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 N7510H 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.