Cessna 172 accident near West Palm Beach, Florida, April 20, 1984
On April 20, 1984 at about 3:17 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N51184, was destroyed in an accident near West Palm Beach, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 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
- April 20, 1984 · about 3:17 pm local time
- Place
- West Palm Beach, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N51184 · no longer on the register · serial 17274275
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT REPORTED THAT SHORTLY AFTER LEVELING AT 5,500 FT MSL, HE LEANED THE MIXTURE, & A FEW MINUTES LATER, THE ENG LOSTPARTIAL POWER. ALL ATTEMPTS TO RESTORE POWER WERE TO NO AVAIL; THE ENG DEVELOPED ONLY ABOUT 1600 RPM. THE FLT ENTERED A 300 FPM RATE OF DESCENT UNTIL IT DITCHED.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 639 hours in all; 193 in this make and model; 103 in the last 90 days; 373 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 8, 1984; 81 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PBI West Palm Beach
- Destination: MYAT Treasure Cay
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:30 pm from PBI, 20 miles away
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.