Piper PA-12 accident near Miramar, Florida, January 6, 1985
On January 6, 1985 at about 7:14 pm local time, a Piper PA-12, registered N3362M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Miramar, Florida. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. 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
- January 6, 1985 · about 7:14 pm local time
- Place
- Miramar, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-12 · all PA-12s on the register
- Registration
- N3362M · no longer on the register · serial 12-2238
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AN INTERRUPTION OF PWR WAS EXPERIENCED AS AN ABRUPT STEEP DIVE MANEUVER WAS ENTERED TO RELEASE THE BANNER TOWED BY THE ACFT. THE PLT THEN ATTEMPTED A 180 DEG TURN AT AN ALT OF APRX 200 FT AGL TO AVOID PWR LINES. THE ACFT ENTERED A HIGH DESCENT RATE AND CONTACTED THE GROUND NEARLY WINGS LEVEL. INVESTIGATION REVEALED THE RIGHT FUEL TANK CONTAINED APRX 7 GALS OF FUEL AND THE LEFT TANK CONTAINED APRX 1 GAL. THE FUEL PICK-UP LINES ARE LOCATED IN THE AFT PORTION OF THE FUEL TANKS. FUEL STARVATION RESULTED AS THE FUEL WAS IN TE FORWARD PORTION OF THE TANKS DURING THE DIVE MANEUVER AND FUEL IN THE LINES WAS EXHAUSTED.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 923 hours in all; 38 in this make and model; 115 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,854 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 25, 1984
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aerial Sign CO INC
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:47 pm from TMB, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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.