Cessna 337F accident near Vero Beach, Florida, March 17, 1995
On March 17, 1995 at about 2:25 pm local time, a Cessna 337F, registered N1842M, was destroyed in an accident near Vero Beach, Florida. 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 PILOT'S FAILURE TO AVOID A THUNDERSTORM. THE THUNDERSTORM WAS A FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 17, 1995 · about 2:25 pm local time
- Place
- Vero Beach, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 337F · all 337Fs on the register
- Registration
- N1842M · no longer on the register · serial 33701442
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE WAS IN CRUISE FLIGHT ON A NORTH HEADING WHEN THE PILOT WAS GIVEN SIGMET INFORMATION BY AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC) FOR THUNDERSTORMS PRESENT IN THE AREA. THE PILOT REQUESTED TO DEVIATE FROM HIS ASSIGNED CLEARANCE, AND ATC SUGGESTED A NORTHWEST HEADING, WHICH THE PILOT ACCEPTED. THE AIRPLANE WAS LAST SEEN ON RADAR AT 0925, AND NO FURTHER COMMUNICATIONS TRANSPIRED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OBSERVED BY A WITNESS CRASHING INTO AN ORANGE GROVE NEAR VERO BEACH DURING HEAVY RAIN. THE AIRPLANE BROKE UP IN 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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 712 hours in all; 575 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 31, 1994
- Maximum gross weight: 4,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FXE Ft. Lauderdale FL at 1:41 pm
- Destination: TIX Titusville FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 1,200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:34 pm from VRB, 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.