Piper PA-44 accident near Key West, Florida, December 26, 1986
On December 26, 1986 at about 2:06 pm local time, a Piper PA-44, registered N2197X, was substantially damaged in an accident near Key West, Florida (Key West International 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 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 26, 1986 · about 2:06 pm local time
- Place
- Key West, Florida · Key West International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-44 · all PA-44s on the register
- Registration
- N2197X · registry record · serial 44-7995277
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF ON AN IFR FLT, THE FLT LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER WHILE IN VFR CONDITIONS. THE FLT RETURNED TO THE ARPT AND THE PLT COMPLETED THE PRE-LANDING CHECKLIST PLACING THE GEAR HANDLE IN THE DOWN POSITION. THE GEAR, BEING ELECTRICALLY OPERATED, DID NOT EXTEND AND THE ACFT LANDED GEAR UP. THE PLT STATED THAT AT THE LAST MOMENT DURING THE FLARE, HE REMEMBERED THE GEAR WAS ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN AND ATTEMPTED TO EXTEND IT BY THE EMERGENCY METHOD, BUT WAS UNABLE TO DO SO IN TIME. AN EXAM OF THE BATTERY REVEALED THAT IT WAS IN A DISCHARGED CONDITION.
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: 1,423 hours in all; 749 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 1,328 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 10, 1986
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-E1A6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EYW Key West FL
- Destination: SRQ Sarasota FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 9, 4,800 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft; not recorded at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:15 pm from EYW
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.
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 MIA87LA059.