Aero Commander 500-698 N3840C
4 August 1991 · Atlantic Ocean · Serious injuries
Summary
On 4 August 1991 at about 21:22 local time, a Aero Commander 500-698 registered N3840C, operated by Palm Beach Aviation, was involved in an accident near Atlantic Ocean. 4 people were on board and one was seriously injured, 3 had minor injuries. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 21:22
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Atlantic Ocean
- Coordinates
- Not recorded
- Aircraft
- Aero Commander 500-698
- Registration
- N3840C
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 2
- Operator
- Palm Beach Aviation
- Operating rule
- Part 135: Air Taxi & Commuter
- Purpose of flight
- Unknown
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Walkers Cay → West Palm Beach
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- MIA91LA193
People
1 person was seriously injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
Probable cause
AN INFLIGHT LOSS OF POWER OF BOTH ENGINES FOR UNDETERMINED REASONS FOLLOWED BY A DITCHING IN THE OCEAN.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
WHILE IN LEVEL FLIGHT THE PILOT REPORTED BOTH ENGINES FAILED AND ALL ATTEMPTS TO RESTART THEM WERE UNSUCCESSFUL. THE PILOT THEN DITCHED THE AIRPLANE IN THE OCEAN, AND IT SANK AND WAS NOT RECOVERED. THE PILOT AND THREE PASSENGERS WERE RESCUED 2 DAYS LATER. ACCORDING TO FUEL CONSUMPTION ESTIMATES THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADEQUATE FUEL FOR THE ENTIRE FLIGHT AND A RESERVE.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Other Aero Commander 500 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 Jul 1991 | Aero Commander 500B | Hutchinson, Kansas, United States | Central Air-Southwest | No injuries | - |
| 31 Jul 1991 | Aero Commander 500B | Silica, Kansas, United States | Dewey E. Tower | Fatal | 2 |
| 24 Nov 1992 | Aero Commander 500-B | McCook, Nebraska, United States | Dewey Towner | Serious injuries | - |
| 7 Feb 1992 | Aero Commander 500S | Richmond Hts., Ohio, United States | Michael Stanton-Hicks | Fatal | 1 |
| 12 Jan 1993 | Aero Commander 500-B | Susank, Kansas, United States | Central Airlines, Inc. | Serious injuries | - |
| 16 Feb 1989 | Aero Commander 500U | Daytona Beach, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |