Piper PA-28-161 accident near Missing, Florida, December 25, 1994
On December 25, 1994 at about 6:25 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N5916V, was destroyed in an accident near Missing, 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
UNDETERMINED.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 25, 1994 · about 6:25 pm local time
- Place
- Missing, Florida
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N5916V · no longer on the register · serial 28-7716216
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT SIGNED THE PILOT AUTHORIZATION FORM TO RENT THE AIRPLANE ON DECEMBER 25, 1994, ABOUT 1325. BEFORE DEPARTURE BOTH WING FUEL TANKS WERE FILLED AT THE REQUEST OF THE MISSING PILOT. THE TIME OF DEPARTURE HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF CONTACT WITH ANY FAA ATC FACILITY. A WITNESS REPORTED SEEING A LOW WING AIRPLANE ABOUT 1800 LOCAL 300-500 FEET ABOVE GROUND LEVEL FLYING WESTBOUND. HE REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE WAS SPUTTERING WHEN THE AIRPLANE FLEW OVER HIS HOUSE. THE MISSING AIRPLANE DID NOT RETURN TO THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. VMC CONDITIONS EXISTED IN THE AREA AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE. THE AIRPLANE WAS FLOWN ON A FLIGHT BEFORE THE MISSING FLIGHT AND THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE ENGINE AND AIRPLANE OPERATED NORMALLY. THE ONLY DISCREPANCY NOTED WAS THAT THE NO. 1 COMMUNICATION RADIO WAS INOPERATIVE.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot, foreign licence
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 504 hours in all; 275 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 18, 1994
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
- Not recorded
The flight
- Departed from: BCT Boca Raton FL
- Destination: BCT FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from PMP
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.