Piper PA-23-250 accident near Atlantic Ocean, AO, June 24, 1985
On June 24, 1985 at about 9:50 pm local time, a Piper PA-23-250, registered N21ML, was destroyed in an accident near Atlantic Ocean, AO. It was a personal 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
- June 24, 1985 · about 9:50 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-23-250 · all PA-23-250s on the register
- Registration
- N21ML · no longer on the register · serial 27-7554134
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT REPORTED THAT DURING AN OVERWATER FLT, A FIRE BEGAN IN THE FRONT SECTION OF THE ACFT WHILE HE WAS CRUISING AT 10,500 FT. HE RADIOED HIS POSITION ON THE EMERGENCY FREQ (121.5 MHZ) & SQUAWKED AN EMERGENCY CODE (7700) ON HIS TRANSPONDER. SUBSEQUENTLY, HE DITCHED THE ACFT IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN & WAS RESCUED BY THE COAST GUARD ABOUT 4 HRS LATER. THE ACFT SANK IN THE OCEAN & WAS NOT RECOVERED; THEREFORE, THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE COULD NOT BE DETERMINED. THE PLT SUSPECTED THAT IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,600 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Unknown (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,150 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SJU San Juan PR
- Destination: FLL Ft.Lauderdale FL
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 30,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:54 pm from SJU, 300 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.