Piper PA-31-350 accident near Bryceville, Florida, September 28, 1984
On September 28, 1984 at about 12:11 pm local time, a Piper PA-31-350, registered N74982, was destroyed in an accident near Bryceville, Florida (Jacksonvill International airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- September 28, 1984 · about 12:11 pm local time
- Place
- Bryceville, Florida · Jacksonvill International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350 · all PA-31-350s on the register
- Registration
- N74982 · no longer on the register · serial 31745134
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
FLT DEPARTED IN INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS. AFTER DEPARTURE PLT FAILED TO MAINTAIN ASSIGNED HEADINGS SEVERAL TIMES AND HAD TO BE CORRECTED BY ATC. AFTER 15 MINS OF FLIGHT THE PLT REPORTED HE WAS HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE RIGHT ENGINE AND WOULD LIKE TO RETURN TO THE ARPT. ATC ADVISED THE PLT THAT CRAIG ARPT WAS AVAILABLE AND WAS CURRENTLY REPORTING VFR CONDITIONS. PLT STATED HE WANTED TO GO TO JAX INT'L BECAUSE THE 4000 FT RWY AT CRAIG WAS NOT LONG ENOUGH. JAX INT'L WAS REPORTING IFR CONDITIONS. THE PLT CONTINUED TO HAVE TROUBLE HOLDING HEADINGS WHILE BEING VECTORED FOR AN ILS APCH. WHILE IN THE DOWNWIND POSITION FOR THE APCH THE PLT ASKED ATC, 'HOW FAR IS 982 FROM LANDING?' AS THE ACFT WAS TURNED ONTO THE LOCALIZER THE PLT CALLED AND STATED HE HAD LOST CONTROL AND WAS IN A SPIN. POST CRASH INSPECTION OF THE RIGHT ENGINE REVEALED THE #5 CYLINDER HAD DETONATED UNTIL A HOLE WAS BURNED IN THE PISTON. ADDITIONALLY THE #5 AND #6 RODS HAD BURN DAMAGE AND THE #6 ROD BOLTS HAD FAILED IN OVERLOAD.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 800 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,444 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 10, 1984; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,000 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: JAX Jacksonville FL at 11:39 am
- Destination: MTEG Bahamas OF
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 7, 8,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 700 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:09 pm from JAX, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.