Piper PA-38-112 accident near St.Petersburg, Florida, May 23, 1984
On May 23, 1984 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-38-112, registered N2552A, was destroyed in an accident near St.Petersburg, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were 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
- May 23, 1984 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- St.Petersburg, Florida
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-38-112 · all PA-38-112s on the register
- Registration
- N2552A · no longer on the register · serial 38-78A0753
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO WITNESSES, THE PLT DID AT LEAST ONE COMPLETE ROLL PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT. THEY STATED THAT AFTER ROLLING AT ABOUT 100 FT ABOVE THE WATER & PARALLEL TO THE BEACH, THE ACFT APPEARED TO BANK VERY STEEPLY TO THE LEFT, THEN PITCH DOWN INTO THE WATER. THE WRECKAGE WAS RECOVERED ON 5/25/84. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE FAILED TO DISCLOSE ANY PRE-EXISTING FAULTS OR FAILURES OF THE ENG, AIRFRAME, OR CONTROL SYSTEM.
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: 162 hours in all; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,198 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 4, 1984; 29 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SPG St.Petersburg FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 79°F (26°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:49 pm from PIE, 12 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.
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.