Douglas DC-6B incident near Miami, Florida, March 15, 1985
On March 15, 1985 at about 7:55 am local time, a Douglas DC-6B, registered N55CA, suffered minor damage in an incident near Miami, Florida. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under foreign airline rules (Part 129). No one was hurt; 3 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 incident. 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
- March 15, 1985 · about 7:55 am local time
- Place
- Miami, Florida
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Douglas DC-6B · all DC-6Bs on the register
- Registration
- N55CA · no longer on the register · serial 25328
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · foreign airline rules (Part 129)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
CREW STATED THAT ON TAKEOFF ROLL THE NUMBER FOUR ENGINE FAILED AND AN ABORTED TAKEOFF WAS INTIATED. DURING THE DECELLERATION AFTER THE THROTTLES WERE CLOSED THE NUMBER FOUR ENGINE SEIZED AND THE NUMBER FOUR PROPELLER SEPARATED WHEN THE PROPELLER SHAFT FAILED. INSPECTION OF THE PROPELLER SHAFT REVEALED IT SHEARED OFF EIGHT INCHES FROM THE TIP,AND EXHIBITED NO EVIDENCE OF A PRIOR CRACK. INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE OIL SCREENS REVEALED THE PRECENTS OF METAL CONTAMINATION. THE OPERATOR HAD NO PLANS TO DISASSEMBLE THE ENGINE. BUT PLANNED TO EXCHANGE IT FOR AN OVERHAULED ENGINE. THE EXPCT CAUSE OF THE ENGINES INTERNAL FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 21,800 hours in all; 12,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 41,074 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, February 27, 1985; 31 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 103,800 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W R2800-CB16/17 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Apa International Air, S.A.
The flight
- Destination: SDO Santo Domingo OF
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 am from MIA
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.