Aeronca 7AC accident near Key Largo, Florida, March 30, 1985
On March 30, 1985 at about 5:29 pm local time, a Aeronca 7AC, registered N84303, was substantially damaged in an accident near Key Largo, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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
- March 30, 1985 · about 5:29 pm local time
- Place
- Key Largo, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Aeronca 7AC · all 7ACs on the register
- Registration
- N84303 · registry record · serial 7AC-3000
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT DEPARTED TAVERNARO ARPT WITH AN ESTIMATED 3 TO 4 GALLONS OF FUEL ON BOARD & PROCEEDED NORTHEAST TO PORT LARGO ARPT, EXECUTED TWO TOUCH & GO LANDINGS, DEPARTED THE PATTERN & APPROXIMATELY 6 MILES NORTHEAST OF PORT LARGO ARPT THE ENG STARTED TO RUN ROUGH & THEN QUIT, ALL ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THE ENG WERE TO NO AVAIL. POST CRASH EXAMINATION & FUNCTIONAL TEST OF THE ENG REVEALED NO MECHANICAL FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 11,000 hours in all; 700 in this make and model; 165 in the last 90 days; 11,000 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,950 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 20, 1985
- Maximum gross weight: 1,220 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-75 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X43 Port Largo FL at 4:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:00 pm from TMB, 35 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.