Piper PA-28-161 accident near Everglades City, Florida, September 4, 1985
On September 4, 1985 at about 2:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N8015X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Everglades City, Florida. It was a business 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
- September 4, 1985 · about 2:30 pm local time
- Place
- Everglades City, Florida
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N8015X · no longer on the register · serial 28-8216079
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT STATED THAT WHILE RETURNING TO VENICE FROM MARATHON,THE ACFT STARTED TO LOSE POWER. HE SWITCHED TANKS BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUED. HE NOTIFIED FORT MYERS APCH HE WAS HAVING PROBLEMS AND WHEN THE POWER DETERIORATED TO 1600 RPM, HE ELECTED TO DITCH THE ACFT IN CHOROLOSEE BAY ABOUT 200 YARDS OFF SHORE IN ABOUT 3 FT OF WATER. AFTER THE ACFT WAS RECOVERED FROM THE BAY, AN ENG TEARDOWN WAS PERFORMED, IT REVEALED; THE NUMBER ONE CYL INTAKE VALUE WAS TULIPED, THE CYL AND TOP OF THE PISTON WERE CLEAN INDICATING THAT A LOSS OF COMPRESSION AND DETONATION HAD OCCURRED IN THAT CYL, EXPLAINING THE PARTIAL LOSS OF POWER EXPERIENCED BY THE PLT.
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; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 713 hours in all; 97 in this make and model; 169 in the last 90 days; 689 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,386 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, August 12, 1984; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MTH Marathon FL at 1:55 pm
- Destination: VNC Venice FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from FMY, 50 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.