# Incident 20231201018879I: Piper Aircraft Inc PA-44-180, Melbourne, FL, December 1, 2023

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: December 1, 2023, 19:50 local time
- Place: Melbourne, FL
- Airport: Melbourne, International
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Departure Roll
- Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
- Operator: ECQS
- Location: 28.0836° N, 80.6081° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Melbourne, FL, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.0836&lon=-80.6081&mi=10
- Aircraft: N882FT, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N882FT) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-44-180 (registry code 7104406, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-44-180) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER AIRCRAFT INC PA-44-180
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 1,113 total, 144 in this make and model, 113 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20231201018879I

## Narrative

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

THE CREW WAS SCHEDULED TO PERFORM A DUAL-SOLO FLIGHT IN A PIPER PA-44-180 AIRCRAFT, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, ON 12/01/2023. THE CREW RECEIVED CLEARANCE TO TAKEOFF FROM RUNWAY 9R VIA QUEBEC. THE STUDENT HAD FLIGHT CONTROLS AND BEGAN TAXIING ONTO RUNWAY 9R, WHILE THE INSTRUCTOR CLEARED THE APPROACH AND DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. IT WAS STATED THAT THE STUDENT LINED THE AIRCRAFT UP TO AT THE TIME WHAT HE BELIEVED TO BE THE CENTERLINE FOR 9R, HOWEVER, CLEARLY DEFINED THAT THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN ITS TAKEOFF ROLE WHILE LINED UP TO THE RUNWAY EDGE LIGHTS UNKNOWN AT THE TIME AND HEARD A LOUD POPPING SOUND. THE PIC TOOK CONTROL AND STATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS EXPERIENCING BRAKE ISSUES AND THE RIGHT ENGINE LOSING POWER. THE INSTRUCTOR PROCEEDED TO TAXIWAY ROMEO. THE INSTRUCTOR CONTACTED AIRPORT OPERATIONS TO ABORT TAKEOFF AND SHUT DOWN. THIS IS WHERE MLB OPERATIONS, FOUND FOUR RUNWAY EDGE LIGHTS OF THE SIX INVOLVED DAMAGED/MISSING. OPERATIONS REPORTED THE DAMAGE TO THE MAINTENANCE. MAINTENANCE DISPATCHED TO RETRIEVE THE AIRCRAFT AND BRING IT BACK TO THE HANGAR FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. WITH THAT, THE AIRCRAFT WAS INSPECTED, AND EVIDENCE SHOWS THE FIRST LIGHT WAS STRUCK BY THE RIGHT PROPELLER IN WHICH BROKE THE TIP, WHEREAS IT BOUNCED INTO THE SIDE WINDOW, CRACKING IT. ADDITIONAL DAMAGE FROM THE LIGHTS WERE LIMITED TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT, AND ENGINE, AND MAIN LANDING GEAR. THE PILOT ALSO STATED BRAKE ISSUES AND WAS IDENTIFIED AND DUE TO A BREAK IN THE HYDRAULIC LINE FROM THE BRAKE ASSEMBLY AND CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE OUTBOARD GEAR DOOR, SEPARATING THE SKIN. OVERALL DAMAGE ASSESSED AS AN INCIDENT AND WILL BE FILED AS SUCH AND NOTED THAT THE CREW LACKED IN SITUATIONAL AWARENESS FOR THIS INCIDENT. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE NO NOTED REGULATORY VIOLATIONS DURING THIS EVENT, THE INSTRUCTOR DID NOT MAINTAIN OVERSIGHT DURING THE ATTEMPTED FLIGHT. BOTH THE INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT FAILED TO IDENTIFY THE RUNWAY CENTERLINE, THEREFORE, MISTAKING IT FOR THE RUNWAY EDGE LIGHTS. THE FLIGHT SCHOOL UNDER AN ASAP PROGRAM GROUNDED BOTH OPERATORS AND WILL INCORPORATE ADDITIONAL AS WELL AS REMEDIAL TRAINING BY THE DIRECTOR OF STANDARDIZATION, OF BOTH THE STUDENT AND INSTRUCTOR. THIS OFFICE ACCEPTS THE PLAN OF ACTION AND NOTHING MORE IS REQUIRED. RECORDS WILL DOCUMENT THE UPCOMING TRAINING AND WILL BE CAPTURED IN HISTORY.

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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