Piper AEROSTAR 600 accident near Fort Myers, Florida, March 25, 1985
On March 25, 1985 at about 12:58 pm local time, a Piper AEROSTAR 600, registered N79CM, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Myers, Florida (Page Field). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 25, 1985 · about 12:58 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Myers, Florida · Page Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper AEROSTAR 600 AEROSTAR 6 · all AEROSTAR 600s on the register
- Registration
- N79CM · registry record · serial 60-0009
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT LANDED WITH BOTH MAIN WHEEL BRAKES LOCKED AS EVIDENCED BY SKID MARKS IN THE TOUCHDOWN ZONE OF THE RWY. AFTER APRX 200 FEET OF SKIDDING THE LEFT BRAKE RELEASED AND DUE TO THE RIGHT BRAKE NOT RELEASING THE PLT LOST CONTROL. THE ACFT VEERED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE RWY AND BOTH MAIN LANDING GEARS COLLAPSED. POST CRASH INSPECTION OF THE ACFT REVEALED THAT BOTH MAIN TIRES HAD SKID MARKS ON THEM AND THAT THE RIGHT TIRE HAD BLOWN OUT. ADDITIONALLY, BOTH BRAKES HAD EVIDENCE OF HAVING BEEN EXTREMELY OVERHEATED TO THE POINT THE BRAKE MATERIAL HAD MELTED AWAY. THE BRAKE PRESSURE SUPPLY SYSTEM APPEARED TO OPERATE CORRECTLY. THE PLT STATED THAT ON HIS LAST TAKEOFF THE ACFT ACCELERATED SLOWLY.
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: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,600 hours in all; 48 in this make and model; 260 in the last 90 days; 4,470 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,507 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, March 21, 1985; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-G1B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TPA Tampa FL at 11:45 am
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 5, 6,401 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:05 pm from FMY
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.
Other NTSB records under N79CM the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MIA85LA131.