Piper PA-31-310 accident near Opa Locka, Florida, October 7, 1985
On October 7, 1985 at about 4:16 pm local time, a Piper PA-31-310, registered N9135Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Opa Locka, Florida (Opa-Locka airport). 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
- October 7, 1985 · about 4:16 pm local time
- Place
- Opa Locka, Florida · Opa-Locka · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-31-310 · all PA-31-310s on the register
- Registration
- N9135Y · no longer on the register · serial 31-182
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT STATED THAT ON FINAL APCH AFTER LOWERING THE LANDING GEAR HE GOT AN UNSAFE GEAR LIGHT. HE THEN FLEW BY THE TWR & THE CONTROLLER STATED THAT THE GEAR APPEARED TO BE DOWN. HE THEN RECYCLED THE LANDING GEAR & RECEIVED A NORMAL GEAR DOWN INDICATION. UPON TOUCHDOWN THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR COLLAPSED & THE ACFT SLID OFF THE RWY INTO THE GRASS. POST CRASH INVESTIGATION REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF BROKEN COMPONENTS. INSPECTION OF THE ACFT MAINT RECORDS REVEALED THE LEFT & RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR DOWNLOCKS HAD BEEN ADJUSTED TWO FLTS PRIOR TO THIS OCCURRENCE. ADDTIONALLY IT WAS LEARNED THAT THE RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR FELL INTO A HOLE WHILE THE ACFT WAS TAXIING ON THE FLT PRIOR TO THIS OCCURRECNE.
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; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,315 hours in all; 36 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,129 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 7, 1985; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,500 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TSI-540-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9L, 8,000 ft by 200 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 pm from MIA
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 N9135Y 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.