Forney 415-CD accident near Tavernier, Florida, February 25, 1990
On February 25, 1990 at about 7:23 pm local time, a Forney 415-CD, registered N3358H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Tavernier, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT BY THE PILOT WHICH RESULTED IN FUEL EXHAUSTION DUE TO AN INADEQUATE SUPPLY OF FUEL. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE PRESENCE OF TREES IN THE EMERGENCY LANDING AREA.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 25, 1990 · about 7:23 pm local time
- Place
- Tavernier, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Forney 415-CD · all 415-CDs on the register
- Registration
- N3358H · no longer on the register · serial 3983
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT STATED THAT WHILE IN CRUISE FLIGHT AT 2500 FEET AGL, THE ENGINE QUIT RUNNING, THEN STARTED AND QUIT AGAIN. HE ATTEMPTED A RESTART WITH NEGATIVE RESULTS. SUBSEQUENTLY THE AIRPLANE CRASHED APPROXIMATELY 1000 FEET FROM A PRIVATE AIRFIELD. FIREMEN THAT RESPONDED TO THE CRASH SITE REPORTED ALL FUEL TANKS WERE EMPTY. THERE WAS NO SIGN OF ANY RUPTURED FUEL CELL, LINES OR SPILLAGE AT THE CRASH SITE.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days; 3,950 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,902 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 3, 1989; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,260 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X-51 Homestead FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 20,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from HST, 40 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.
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 MIA90LA073.