Piper AZTEC PA-23-250 incident near Vero Beach, Florida, May 31, 1985
On May 31, 1985 at about 5:23 pm local time, a Piper AZTEC PA-23-250, registered N63845, suffered minor damage in an incident near Vero Beach, Florida (Vero Beach airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 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
- May 31, 1985 · about 5:23 pm local time
- Place
- Vero Beach, Florida · Vero Beach
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper AZTEC PA-23-250 AZTEC PA-2
- Registration
- N63845 · no longer on the register · serial 77-54162
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN, THE CFI'S ATTENTION WAS DIVERTED AS HE ATTEMPTED TO ASSIST ATC WITH SOME RADIO FREQUENCY INFO. WHILE BEING SO DISTRACTED, HE PERMITTED THE STUDENT TO LAND THE ACFT WITH THE GEAR UP.
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, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 18,600 hours in all; 5,015 in this make and model; 270 in the last 90 days; 18,385 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, May 23, 1985; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Flight Safety International
The flight
- Departed from: VRB Vero Beach FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 4, 4,975 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: scat
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:30 pm from VRB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.