Piper PA-28-235 accident near Sanibel Island, Florida, March 12, 1984
On March 12, 1984 at about 5:00 am local time, a Piper PA-28-235, registered N39677, was destroyed in an accident near Sanibel Island, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
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
- March 12, 1984 · about 5:00 am local time
- Place
- Sanibel Island, Florida
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-235 · all PA-28-235s on the register
- Registration
- N39677 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7610047
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT FAILED TO ARRIVE AT ITS DESTINATION. A SATELLITE PHOTO OF THE AREA SHOWED WX & CLOUD COVER BETWEEN THE DEPARTURE & DESTINATION ARPTS. RADAR DATA SHOWED THAT AN ACFT HAD LEFT KEY WEST, FL, AT ABOUT 1700, WENT NORTHBOUND AT 4500 UNTIL IT ENCOUNTER BAD WX. IT THEN TURNED SOUTHWEST FOR ABOUT 7 MI, THEN TURNED NORTH & CLIMBED TO 4900 FT. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, IT LOST 1700 FT IN 24 SECONDS, THEN RADAR CONTACT WAS LOST. HOWEVER, POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION OF THE ACFT WAS NOT MADE. THE BODIES OF 2 OF THE OCCUPANTS WERE RECOVERED, THE OTHER 2 WERE PRESUMED TO HAVE BEEN FATALLY INJURED. THE ACFT WAS PRESUMED TO HAVE BEEN DESTROYED DURING A CRASH IN THAT VICINITY.
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: 300 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 3,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-B4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: EYW Key West FL at 10:03 pm
- Destination: PIE Clearwater FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: not recorded; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 9:50 pm from EYW
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.