# Accident 19970304002089A: Piper PA28161, Tampa, FL, March 4, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 4, 1997, 14:50 local time
- Place: Tampa, FL
- Airport: Peter O Knight Airport
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Ground Taxi, Other Airplane
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 27.9154° N, 82.4494° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at PETER O KNIGHT (TPF), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.9154&lon=-82.4494&mi=10
- Aircraft: N4345C, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N4345C) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-161 (registry code 7102803, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-161) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28161
- Reported engine: LYC O320*
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Pilot flight hours: 281 total, 70 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA97LA094](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA97LA094) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970304002089A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

COLLIDED WITH MOWING TRACTOR DURING TAXI TO RUNWAY. PLANE OVERTOOK TRACTOR AND HIT IT FROM BEHIND. (-23) ON MARCH 4, 1997, AT 1430 EST, A PIPER PA-28-161, N4345C OWNED BY COSOLIDATED FLYING SERVICE, INC., AND PILOTED BY MR. IRA NELSON, STRUCK THE LEFT WINGTIP ON A TRACTOR MOWING GRASS WHILE TAXIING FOR TAKEOFF AT THE PETE R O. KNIGHT AIRPORT NEAR TAMPA, FLORIDA. THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE.  MR. NELSON WAS UNINJURED.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB MIA97LA094](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA97LA094), Mar 4, 1997: Piper PA-28-161 (N4345C), Tampa, FL, substantial damage. Probable cause: the pilot's excessive taxispeed.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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