Piper PA-32RT-300 accident near Sugarloaf Key, Florida, February 6, 1994
On February 6, 1994 at about 5:07 am local time, a Piper PA-32RT-300, registered N626CN, was destroyed in an accident near Sugarloaf Key, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
WAS THE FAILURE OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND TO PERFORM A VISUAL LOOKOUT AND MAINTAIN HIS ALTITUDE. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE DARK NIGHT, OVER WATER, VISUAL DESCENT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 6, 1994 · about 5:07 am local time
- Place
- Sugarloaf Key, Florida
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32RT-300 PA-32RT-30 · all PA-32RT-300s on the register
- Registration
- N626CN · no longer on the register · serial 7885189
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PRIVATE PILOT WAS LAST OBSERVED ON RADAR DESCENDING AT A NORMAL RATE, OVER WATER, ON A DARK NIGHT FOR LANDING AT AN ISLAND AIRPORT. THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED THE NEXT DAY IN ABOUT 20 FEET OF WATER. EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED NO MALFUNCTION OR FAILURE OF ANY COMPONENTS OF THE AIRPLANE NECESSARY FOR FLIGHT.
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: 271 hours in all; 183 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,769 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 21, 1994
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1G5D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CRG Jacksonville FL at 2:45 am
- Destination: EYW Key West FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:55 pm from NQX, 10 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.