Piper PA-31-350 accident near Homestead, Florida, April 4, 1986
On April 4, 1986 at about 11:35 pm local time, a Piper PA-31-350, registered N55WE, was substantially damaged in an accident near Homestead, Florida. It was a positioning 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
- April 4, 1986 · about 11:35 pm local time
- Place
- Homestead, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-350 · all PA-31-350s on the register
- Registration
- N55WE · registry record · serial 31-7405163
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE FLT WAS NEARING COMPLETION OF A 4.2 HR X-COUNTRY FLT & WAS APRX 7 MILES FROM THE DEST WHEN BOTH ENGS QUIT DUE TO FUEL EXHAUSTION. A FORCED LDG WAS PERFORMED. THE PLT STATED THE ACFT HAD DEPARTED WITH A FULL FUEL LOAD OF 182 GALS. THE ACFT OWNER STATED THAT FUEL CONSUMPTION AVERAGED ABOUT 44 GALS PER HR. AT THAT RATE, THE ACFT WOULD HAVE CONSUMED APPROX 185 GALS. AFTER THE ACCIDENT, THE PLT STATED THAT A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT MAY HAVE BEEN THAT HE HAD BEEN RECENTLY FLYING ANOTHER PA-31 WHICH HAD A GREATER FUEL CAPACITY DUE TO THE INSTALLATION OF AUX FUEL TANKS & HE MAY HAVE SUBCONSCIOUSLY THOUGHT THAT HE HAD MORE FUEL THAN HE ACTUALLY HAD.
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 single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,467 hours in all; 118 in this make and model; 85 in the last 90 days; 51 in the last 30 days; 3,169 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,449 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, December 31, 1985; 88 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 7,000 lb
- Seats: 8
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-J2BD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EYW Key West FL at 11:00 pm
- Destination: X51 Homestead FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 080° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:46 pm from TMB, 22 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.
Other NTSB records under N55WE the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.