Piper PA-28-180 accident near Sugarloaf Key, Florida, December 1, 1996
On December 1, 1996 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N9545J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sugarloaf Key, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a complete loss of engine power due to a disconnected connecting rod cap.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 1, 1996 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Sugarloaf Key, Florida
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N9545J · no longer on the register · serial 28-3693
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While in cruise flight the engine lost power, and the pilot elected to land on a road. As the airplane touched down the left wing struck the brush on the side of the road, veered left, and turned 180 degrees opposite the direction of travel. Witnesses reported seeing black smoke coming from the engine before impact. The airplane's engine was disassembled, and the examination revealed that the No. 3 connecting rod cap had become detached from the crankshaft assembly, resulting in external damage to the engine. In addition, the remaining connecting rod assemblies were found to be incorrectly installed, and the nuts were all found opposite end down. The No. 2 and No. 4 assemblies were found to be loose.
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
- Flight time: 330 hours in all; 2 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,923 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 23, 1996; 17 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 0
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Edig Executive Aircraft INC.
The flight
- Departed from: EYW Key West FL at 4:45 pm
- Destination: FXE Ft Luaderdale FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,800 ft; scat at 3,200 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KEY, 11 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.