Douglas C-54 accident near Ft.Lauderdale, Florida, August 14, 1984
On August 14, 1984 at about 11:20 am local time, a Douglas C-54, registered N74183, was substantially damaged in an accident near Ft.Lauderdale, Florida (Ft. Lauderdale Hollywood airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under large-aircraft private carriage rules (Part 125). No one was hurt; 2 people were 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 11:20 am local time
- Place
- Ft.Lauderdale, Florida · Ft. Lauderdale Hollywood
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Douglas C-54 · all C-54s on the register
- Registration
- N74183 · no longer on the register · serial 10314
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · large-aircraft private carriage rules (Part 125)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT HAD RETURNED FOR PRECAUTIONARY LANDING AFTER #4 ENGINE VIBRATION WAS NOTED 10 MINS INTO THE FLT. ACFT LANDED 4000 LBS OVER MAX ALLOWABLE LANDING WT. AFTER #4 ENGINE EXAMINATION THE ACFT WAS RELEASED FOR FLIGHT. AN EXCHANGEOF PILOT IN COMMAND WAS MADE AND THE ACFT TAXIIED FOR TAKEOFF. DURING TAXI, THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. INVESTIGATION REVEALED NOSE GEAR ASSEMBLY OVERLOAD FAILURE.
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; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 20,000 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model; 178 in the last 90 days; 41 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 59,013 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, May 28, 1984; 71 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 65,000 lb
- Seats: 60
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W R-2000 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Ft.Lauderdale FL
- Destination: MYNN Nassau OF
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 064° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:47 am from FLL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 MIA84LA228.