Piper 601P accident near Miami, Florida, May 3, 1986
On May 3, 1986 at about 7:01 pm local time, a Piper 601P, registered N246G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Miami, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were 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
- May 3, 1986 · about 7:01 pm local time
- Place
- Miami, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper 601P
- Registration
- N246G · registry record · serial 61P0351107
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
NEARING COMPLETION OF AN INTERNATIONAL FLT OF NEARLY 5 HRS DURATION, THE FLT ADVISED ATC THEY WERE LOW ON FUEL & WOULD LIKE VECTORS TO THE NEAREST ARPT. THE FLT WAS UNABLE TO MAKE THE ARPT & A FORCED LDG WAS MADE IN THE EVERGLADES APRX 6 MI FROM THE ARPT. AN EXAM OF THE FUEL LINES TO THE ENG SERVOS REVEALED NO FUEL PRESENT. APRX 55 GALS OF 100LL FUEL, BLUE IN COLOR WAS FOUND IN THE ACFT FUEL TANKS. GREEN FUEL, 100/130 OCT WAS FOUND IN THE FUEL SUMP THE LOWEST POINT IN THE SYSTEM. FUEL DISTRIBUTORS IN SAN SALVADOR ADVISED THAT ONLY 100/130, GREEN FUEL, IS AVAILABLE THERE. A SECURITY GUARD REPORTED AN AIRBOAT WAS NEAR THE ACFT DURING THE NIGHT AFTER THE ACCIDENT. THE PLT DEPARTED WITH APPROX 209 GALS OF FUEL AND WOULD HAVE BEEN AT OR NEAR FUEL EXHAUSTION AFTER 5 FLT HRS.
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 sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,298 hours in all; 310 in this make and model; 57 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 3,196 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,000 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 1, 1985
- Maximum gross weight: 5,700 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-S1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MSSS San Salvador OF
- Destination: OPF Miami FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 340° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 8 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:12 pm from TMB, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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 MIA86LA145.