Cessna 177 accident near Vieques, Puerto Rico, August 12, 1985
On August 12, 1985 at about 10:39 pm local time, a Cessna 177, registered N30232, was substantially damaged in an accident near Vieques, Puerto Rico. 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 instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- August 12, 1985 · about 10:39 pm local time
- Place
- Vieques, Puerto Rico
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177 · all 177s on the register
- Registration
- N30232 · no longer on the register · serial 17701137
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CFI AND STUDENT PLT UTILIZED A HOMEMADE DIPSTICK TO CHECK THE FUEL TANKS & DETERMINED THEY HAD ABOUT 8 GALS OF FUEL IN THE TANKS. ABOUT 30 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF THE ENG FAILED AND ALL RESTART ATTEMPTS WERE NEGATIVE. THE ACFT WAS DITCHEDIN ABOUT 25 FT OF WATER AND NOT RECOVERED. THE PLT BROADCAST A 'MAYDAY' PRIOR TO IMPACT & A MILITARY HELICOPTER RECOVERED THE OCCUPANTS.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,935 hours in all; 31 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days; 2,715 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,365 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 9, 1985
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MJFA Fajardo PR at 10:09 pm
- Destination: MJVQ Vieques PR
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 1 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,800 ft; not recorded at 1,800 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:10 pm from MNRR, 12 miles away
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.