Aero Commander 520 accident near Stuart, Florida, August 14, 1984
On August 14, 1984 at about 11:53 pm local time, a Aero Commander 520, registered N7834, was substantially damaged in an accident near Stuart, Florida (Stuart 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).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 14, 1984 · about 11:53 pm local time
- Place
- Stuart, Florida · Stuart · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander 520 · all 520s on the register
- Registration
- N7834 · no longer on the register · serial 520-92
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH A FENCE AT THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RWY DURING TAKEOFF. THE ACFT TIRES WERE GROSSLY UNDER INFLATED AND THE TURF RWY WAS WET AND SOFT. ONE WITNESS SAID THE ACFT MADE AN INTERSECTION TAKEOFF WITHOUT USING THE ENTIRE RWY LENGTH. AFTER THE COLLISION THE ACFTS RT ENGINE FAILED AND WAS FEATHERED. THE PLT THEN FLEW TO STUART ARPT WHERE FIRE FIGHTING EQUIP WAS AVAILABLE. HE SAID THE NOSE GEAR RETRACTED ON LANDING. EXAMINATION OF THE ACFT BY A LOCAL MECHANIC REVEALED THAT THE RT ENG WAS SEIZED WITH THE OIL COOLER CRUSHED AND RUPTURED REARWARD. NO OIL WAS FOUND IN THE ENGINE. THE TIRE PRESSURES WERE: NOSE-5 PSI, LEFT MAIN-20 PSI, RIGHT MAIN-18 PSI. NORMAL PRESSURE SHOULD HAVE BEEN 60 PSI.
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
- Flight time: 1,800 hours in all; 32 in this make and model; 1,800 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,303 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 16, 1984
- Maximum gross weight: 5,500 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming GO-435-C2 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X58 Indiantown FL at 11:15 pm
- Destination: SUA Stuart FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 30,000 ft; scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:48 pm from VRB, 14 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MIA84LA227.