Beech 65 accident near Marathon, Florida, December 10, 1984
On December 10, 1984 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Beech 65, registered N101V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Marathon, Florida (Marathon airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 5 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
- December 10, 1984 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Marathon, Florida · Marathon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 5 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Beech 65 · all 65s on the register
- Registration
- N101V · registry record · serial LC-67
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE PLT, APRX 20 MIN AFTER DEPARTURE AT 4,000 TO 5,000 FT THE LEFT ENG FAILED FOLLOWED 10 MIN LATER BY A POWER LOSS IN THE RIGHT ENG. DURING THE DESC THE RIGHT ENG RESTARTED MOMENTARILY BUT ONLY RAN FOR ABOUT 1 MIN. THE PLT DITCHED NEAR A SAILBOAT WHOSE OCCUPANTS RESCUED THE PLT AND PAX. THE ACFT SUNK IN ABOUT 8 FT OF WATER. WHEN RECOVERED INVESTIGATORS FOUND THAT THE LEFT PROP WAS NOT FEATHERED. THE RIGHT PROP WAS SEPARATED FROM THE ENG AT THE FRONT GEAR CASE. IN THE SEPARATION SEQUENCE THE PROP PUNCTURED HOLES IN THE WING OUTBOARD OF THE RIGHT ENG NACELLE. FUEL SAMPLES TAKEN FROM TRUCKS AT THE DEP ARPT WERE SATISFACTORY
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 10,397 hours in all; 144 in this make and model; 1,047 in the last 90 days; 10,011 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 39,786 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 24, 1984
- Maximum gross weight: 7,700 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IGSO-480A1B6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MTH Marathon FL at 5:10 pm
- Destination: TPA Tampa FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 pm from EYW, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 4 |
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.