Piper PA-31 accident near Atlantic Ocean, AO, December 29, 1984
On December 29, 1984 at about 6:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-31, registered N801BR, was destroyed in an accident near Atlantic Ocean, AO. It was a business 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 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 29, 1984 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Atlantic Ocean, AO
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31 · all PA-31s on the register
- Registration
- N801BR · registry record · serial 31-241
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ABOUT 5 HRS & 10 MINS AFTER DEPARTURE, BOTH ENGS FAILED DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION AT 11,000 FT APRX 40 MILES FROM HAITI. ACCORDING TO THE PLT, THE ACFT WAS USING MORE FUEL THAN NORMAL AND THE DESTN WAS CHANGED ACCORDINGLY. A SHORT TIME AFTER INITIATING THE DIVERT, BOTH ENGS QUIT.
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: 4,310 hours in all; 235 in this make and model; 85 in the last 90 days; 4,110 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,357 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 22, 1983; 220 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,500 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-M1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SRQ Sarasota FL at 1:05 pm
- Destination: MTPP Port Au Prince OF
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; not recorded at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:00 pm
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.