Cessna 185 accident near Key West, Florida, October 19, 1983
On October 19, 1983 at about 10:55 am local time, a Cessna 185, registered N60925, was substantially damaged in an accident near Key West, Florida (Key West Int'L. airport). 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
- October 19, 1983 · about 10:55 am local time
- Place
- Key West, Florida · Key West Int'L. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 185 · all 185s on the register
- Registration
- N60925 · no longer on the register · serial 18504075
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT WAS ON A FLT FROM MIAMI, FL TO CANCUM, MEXICO WHEN THE PLT ELECTED TO MAKE AN EN ROUTE STOP AT KEY WEST, FL TO CHECK THE WX. DURING THE LANDING, THE LEFT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED. AN EXAM REVEALED A WEAR PATTERN ON THE LANDING GEAR & FUSELAGE STRUCTURE IN THE VICINITY OF THE UPPER END OF THE MAIN LANDING GEAR SPRING INSTALLATIONS. THE FILLET PLATE & SEAL AROUND THE UPPER END OF THE LEFT LANDING GEAR SPRING WERE DEFORMED & SHATTERED. ALSO, THE SPRING ATTACH BOLT HAD SEPARATED FROM THE FUSELAGE STRUCTURE. REPORTEDLY, THE ACFT HAD MADE NUMEROUS LANDINGS ON ROUGH FIELDS IN CENTRAL AMERICA. THE OWNER RESIDED IN COSTA RICA, HIS LOG BOOKS & RECORDS WERE NOT AVAILABLE FOR EXAMINATION.
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: 330 hours in all; 34 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 3,350 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental I0-520 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TMBQ Miami FL at 9:00 am
- Destination: MUN Cancum
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 9, 4,800 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 060° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:50 am from EYW
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.
Other NTSB records under N60925 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.