Piper PA-23-250 accident near Titusville, Florida, April 7, 1984
On April 7, 1984 at about 9:59 pm local time, a Piper PA-23-250, registered N6890Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Titusville, Florida (Titusville-Cocoa airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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
- April 7, 1984 · about 9:59 pm local time
- Place
- Titusville, Florida · Titusville-Cocoa · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-250 · all PA-23-250s on the register
- Registration
- N6890Y · no longer on the register · serial 27-4243
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT COULD NOT GET THE LEFT MAIN GEAR EXTENDED FOR LANDING AND THEN COULD NOT GET THE RIGHT MAIN AND NOSE GEAR TO RETRACT FOR A'BELLY'LANDING. THE ACFT WAS LANDED ON THE SOD BESIDE THE RWY WITH THE LEFT MAIN RETRACTED. THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED DURING THE LANDING SLIDE. AFTER THE ACCIDENT THE ACFT WAS JACKED UP AND AFTER THE LEFT GEAR DOORS WERE PRYED OPEN THE LEFT GEAR FELL OUT AND LOCKED DOWN. WITH THE NOSE GEAR AND LEFT GEAR DOORS OUT OF THE SYSTEM THE MAIN GEARS OPERATED NORMALLY. THE NOSE & LEFT GEAR DOORS WERE OMITTED FROM THE TEST DUE TO IMPACT DAMAGE. THIS ACFT HAD ONLY FLOWN ABOUT 1 HOUR IN THE LAST YEAR.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,000 hours in all; 1,002 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 12,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,400 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 1983; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: COI Merritt Island FL at 8:48 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 5,001 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 8 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 9:46 pm from TIX
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.
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.