North American Rockwell Corp. 112 accident near Jacksonville, Florida, December 7, 1986
On December 7, 1986 at about 11:55 pm local time, a North American Rockwell Corp. 112, registered N1142J, was destroyed in an accident near Jacksonville, Florida (Craig Munincipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
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
- December 7, 1986 · about 11:55 pm local time
- Place
- Jacksonville, Florida · Craig Munincipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- North American Rockwell Corp. 112
- Registration
- N1142J · no longer on the register · serial 116
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT, BEING FLOWN BY A NON-INSTRUMENT RATED PLT, APPEARED OVER THE ARPT WITHOUT MAKING CONTACT WITH THE TOWER WHILE THE ARPT WAS UNDER INSTRUMENT FLT CONDITIONS AND THE CONTROL ZONE WAS IN OPERATION. AFTER MAKING SEVERAL ERRATIC PASSES THE PLT CONTACTED THE TOWER AND REQUESTED A SPECIAL VFR CLEARANCE. THE PLT WAS CLEARED TO LAND ON RWY 31. THE PLT CALLED A SHORT TIME LATER AND STATED HE HAD MISSED THE RWY AND WAS AGAIN CLEARED TO LAND ON RWY 31. WITNESSES REPORTED SEEING THE ACFT ON DOWNWIND FOR RWY 31 AND AS IT TURNED BASE IT ENTERED THE CLOUDS. THE ACFT CAME OUT OF THE CLOUDS IN A NOSE DOWN, STEEP RIGHT BANK ATTITUDE AND STRUCK THE GROUND. THE PLT WAS INFORMED OF THE INSTRUMENT WEATHER CONDITIONS WHEN HE RECEIVED A WEATHER BRIEFING PRIOR TO DEPARTURE.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 160 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 35 in the last 30 days; 140 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,550 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 23, 1986; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1D6 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: X41 New Port Richey FL at 10:30 pm
- Destination: CRG Jacksonville FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 31, 4,007 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 010° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 400 ft; not recorded at 400 ft
- Temperature: 59°F (15°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 pm from CRG, 1 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.
Other NTSB records under N1142J 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.