What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 13, 2017, at approximately 2300 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-44-180, N2173S, was destroyed during a descent and subsequent inflight breakup near Marineland, Florida.
The flight was being operated as a part 91 instructional cross-country flight from kbqk returning to komn. Visual meteorological conditions and light winds aloft and at the surface prevailed, and no flight plan was filed for the flight. The pilot was under flight-following with dab TRACON, and had reported komn in sight at about 22 NM. The radar target of N2173S then spiraled down from 5400 MSL.
The main wreckage came to rest inverted within a heavily wooded area. The outboard portions of the left and right wings, baggage door, and a portion of the right stabilator were located throughout a 0.5-mile-long and 0.2-mile-wide debris path that spanned across water and marshland northwest of the main wreckage.
The located wreckage was recovered to a secure location for further examination by the NTSB. No further information has been released at this time.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 13, 2017, AT APPROXIMATELY 2300 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME, A PIPER PA-44-180, N2173S, WAS DESTROYED DURING A DESCENT AND SUBSEQUENT INFLIGHT BREAKUP NEAR MARINELAND, FLORIDA.
THE FLIGHT WAS BEING OPERATED AS A PART 91 INSTRUCTIONAL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT FROM KBQK RETURNING TO KOMN. VISUAL METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS AND LIGHT WINDS ALOFT AND AT THE SURFACE PREVAILED, AND NO FLIGHT PLAN WAS FILED FOR THE FLIGHT. THE PILOT WAS UNDER FLIGHT-FOLLOWING WITH DAB TRACON, AND HAD REPORTED KOMN IN SIGHT AT ABOUT 22 NM. THE RADAR TARGET OF N2173S THEN SPIRALED DOWN FROM 5400 MSL.
THE MAIN WRECKAGE CAME TO REST INVERTED WITHIN A HEAVILY WOODED AREA. THE OUTBOARD PORTIONS OF THE LEFT AND RIGHT WINGS, BAGGAGE DOOR, AND A PORTION OF THE RIGHT STABILATOR WERE LOCATED THROUGHOUT A 0.5-MILE-LONG AND 0.2-MILE-WIDE DEBRIS PATH THAT SPANNED ACROSS WATER AND MARSHLAND NORTHWEST OF THE MAIN WRECKAGE.
THE LOCATED WRECKAGE WAS RECOVERED TO A SECURE LOCATION FOR FURTHER EXAMINATION BY THE NTSB. NO FURTHER INFORMATION HAS BEEN RELEASED AT THIS TIME.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.
Other reports on N2173S · 2
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.