Cessna 310J accident near Opa Locka, Florida, January 23, 1986
On January 23, 1986 at about 10:54 pm local time, a Cessna 310J, registered N12DS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Opa Locka, Florida (Opa Locka airport). 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).
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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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 23, 1986 · about 10:54 pm local time
- Place
- Opa Locka, Florida · Opa Locka · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 310J · all 310Js on the register
- Registration
- N12DS · registry record · serial 0121
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT/OWNER REPORTED THAT HE HAD THE LEFT MAIN LANDING GEAR REPAIRED TWICE PREVIOUSLY DUE TO LEFT GEAR COLLAPSES UPON LANDING. HE ALSO STATED THAT HE HAD JUST PICKED UP THE AIRCRAFT FROM THE MECHANIC PERFORMING THE LAST REPAIR. WHEN UPON THE FIRST LANDING THE LEFT GEAR AGAIN COLLAPSED. THE LEFT GEAR ATTACH BRACKET WAS FOUND TO HAVE BEEN RECENTLY REPLACED AND WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT. THIS CAUSED THE LEFT GEAR TO NOT EXTEND FULLY AND LOCK. THE MECHANIC WHO PERFORMED THE MAINTENCE FAILED TO PROPERLY REPAIR THE GEAR AND ALSO FAILED TO COMPLETE THE REQUIRED RECORD ENTRIES.
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: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 2,506 hours in all; 60 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,790 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 6, 1985; 71 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental I0-470-U (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HWD Miami FL
- Destination: OPF Opa Locka FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9L, 8,002 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 070° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:52 pm from OPF
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MIA86LA063.