# Incident 20240123004999I: Piper PA-28-161, Sebastian, FL, January 23, 2024

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: January 23, 2024, 09:45 local time
- Place: Sebastian, FL
- Airport: Sebastian-Roseland Municipal A
- Damage: No damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
- Operator: 4F8S
- Location: 27.7792° N, 80.4827° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Sebastian, FL, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.7792&lon=-80.4827&mi=10
- Aircraft: N8388Y, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N8388Y) (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 PA-28-161
- Reported engine: LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 830 total, 164 in this make and model, 79 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20240123004999I

## Narrative

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

ON JANUARY 23, 2024, AT APPROXIMATELY 1425Z A FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT INITIATED A TRAINING FLIGHT IN A PA-28-161 FROM THE SEBASTIAN AIRPORT (X26). A THOROUGH PREFLIGHT, RUNUP, AND PRETAKEOFF CHECKS WERE COMPLETED. AFTER ROTATION THE INSTRUCTOR STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO ACHIEVE A CLIMB GRADIENT ASSOCIATED WITH THE BEST RATE OF CLIMB AIRSPEED AND FULL POWER.  THE INSTRUCTOR WAS CONCERNED THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO GAIN ALTITUDE. FURTHER INVESTIGATION SHOWED THE ALTIMETER AND VSI WERE INOPERATIVE. THE INSTRUCTOR STATED THEY WERE STILL NOT ABLE TO CLIMB AT FULL POWER AND THE BEST RATE OF CLIMB AIRSPEED. THE INSTRUCTOR ELECTED TO DO A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING ON A DIRT STRIP APPROXIMATELY THREE MILES SOUTHEAST OF X26. NO INJURIES OR AIRCRAFT DAMAGE.

## Other reports on N8388Y (1)

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

- [Accident 19941214048719A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19941214048719A), Dec 14, 1994: Piper PA28161 (N8388Y), Auburn, WA, Substantial damage. Low on dark night landing. Struck power line. Maintained control. Landed on runway then ran off side of runway.

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.

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.