Cessna 337H accident near New Smyrna Bch, Florida, January 9, 1993
On January 9, 1993 at about 8:05 pm local time, a Cessna 337H, registered N1443S, was destroyed in an accident near New Smyrna Bch, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO MAINTAIN ALTITUDE WHILE MANEUVERING IN A TURN AT A LOW ALTITUDE, RESULTING IN AN IN-FLIGHT COLLISION WITH THE OCEAN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 9, 1993 · about 8:05 pm local time
- Place
- New Smyrna Bch, Florida
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 337H · all 337Hs on the register
- Registration
- N1443S · no longer on the register · serial 33701918
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED FLYING PARALLEL TO THE BEACH IN VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AT AN ALTITUDE ESTIMATED LESS THAN 100 FEET AGL. THE AIRPLANE BEGAN A TURN TO THE LEFT TO REVERSE ITS DIRECTION WHEN THE LEFT WING WAS OBSERVED TO COLLIDE WITH THE WATER. THE AIRPLANE WAS DESTROYED AND THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED. TWO AIRPLANE SEATS, A CHECK LIST, AND A PART OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WITH THE AIRPLANE REGISTRATION NUMBER ON IT WERE RECOVERED FROM THE OCEAN. THE MAIN AIRPLANE WRECKAGE WAS NOT LOCATED.
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
- Flight time: 240 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,350 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 1, 1992
- Maximum gross weight: 4,630 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-360-6B (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 44J Daytona Beach FL at 8:00 pm
- Destination: 44J
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 7 knots
- Sky: overcast at 15,000 ft; scat at 2,700 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:50 pm from DAB, 5 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.
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.