Piper PA-34 accident near Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, December 27, 1986
On December 27, 1986 at about 11:38 pm local time, a Piper PA-34, registered N84136, was destroyed in an accident near Ft. Lauderdale, Florida (Ft. Lauderdale Int'L airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were 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 27, 1986 · about 11:38 pm local time
- Place
- Ft. Lauderdale, Florida · Ft. Lauderdale Int'L · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34 · all PA-34s on the register
- Registration
- N84136 · no longer on the register · serial 34-8133174
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PVT PLT HAD BEEN CLEARED FOR 27R ILS APCH AND WAS ON THE LOCALIZER AT 1,600 FT WHEN THE CONTROLLER NOTICED THE ACFT NORTH OF THE LOCALIZER COURSE AND IN A RIGHT TURN HEADED EAST. THE CONTROLLER QUERRIED THE PLT AS TO HIS HEADING AND THE PLT REPLIED, 'EAST, WHICH WAS TO GO?'. THE FLT WAS THEN GIVEN A TURN SO AS TO AVOID ANOTHER ACFT ON THE APCH WHICH THE ACCIDENT ACFT WAS APPROACHING HEAD-ON. THE PLT NEVER ACKNOWLEDGED ANY FURTHER RADIO TRANSMISSIONS AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER, THE ACFT DROPPED OFF RADAR AND CRASHED INTO THE ATLANTIC IN 800 FT OF WATER. THE NEWLY RATED MULTI-ENGINE PLT HAD BEEN ADVISED BY HIS CFI NOT TO CONDUCT ANY NIGHT IFR OR FLT INTO HEAVY IFR CONDITIONS UNTIL HE GAINED MORE IFR EXPERIENCE. THE WX CONDITIONS WERE NIGHT IFR WITH RAIN, HEAVY TURBULENCE AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE AREA. NEITHER THE ACFT NOR OCCUPANTS WERE RECOVERED FROM THE OCEAN.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 385 hours in all; 20 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,010 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 1, 1986; 39 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,570 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360-KB (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: AMG Alma GA
- Destination: FLL Ft. Lauderdale FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 360° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 500 ft; not recorded at 500 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:28 pm from FLL, 9 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.
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.