# Accident 20050110000319A: Piper PA28140, Leesburg, FL, January 10, 2005

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 10, 2005, 11:30 local time
- Place: Leesburg, FL
- Airport: Leesburg Municipal Airport
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: In Traffic Pattern-Circling
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 28.8375° N, 81.8256° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.8375&lon=-81.8256&mi=10
- Aircraft: N1266T, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N1266T-2007-12-18) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-140 (registry code 7102802, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-140) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming 0-320 series (registry code 41508, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28140
- Reported engine: LYC O320*
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 250 total, 100 in this make and model, 15 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB MIA05FA045](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA05FA045) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20050110000319A

## Narrative

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

(-23) ON JANUARY 10, 2005 @ 11:30PM, DURING APPROACH TO LAND ON RUNWAY 13 AT LEESBURG, FL REGIONAL AIRPORT N1266T CRASHED INTO A SHALLOW SWAMP 1 NAUTICAL MILE NORTHWEST OF AIRPORT. FOG WAS REPORTED BY WEATHER SERVICE WHICH WAS COLLABORATED BY ON-SCENE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES AND EYEWITNESS REPORTS. RUNWAY LIGHTS WERE ACTIVATED AND PILOT ENTERED TRAFFIC PATTERN. ON BASE LEG TURN TO FINAL APPROACH, PILOT ENTERED INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS, STALLED THE AIRCRAFT AND ENTERED A SPIN. AIRCRAFT STRUCK GROUND AT A NOSE LOW LEFT BANK CONDITION. WRECKAGE WAS CONTAINED TO IMPACT AREA AND TREES SURROUNDING WRECKAGE WERE UNDAMAGED. ENGINE TEARDOWN DID NOT REVEAL CONDITIONS CONTRARY TO REPORTS THAT THE ENGINE WAS OPERATING PRIOR TO IMPACT. CONTROL SURFACE CONTINUITY WAS ESTABLISHED THROUGH MOVEMENT OF CONTROL CABLES AND INSPECTION.

## 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 MIA05FA045](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA05FA045), Jan 11, 2005: Piper PA-28-140 (N1266T), Leesburg, FL, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The pilot's decision to continue VMC flight into IMC conditions.

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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