# Incident 20250324005709I: Piper PA-44-180, Pensacola, FL, March 24, 2025

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 24, 2025, 16:34 local time
- Place: Pensacola, FL
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Cruise/Level Flight
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 30.4410° N, 87.1912° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Pensacola, FL, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.4410&lon=-87.1912&mi=10
- Aircraft: N551MD, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N551MD) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-44-180 (registry code 7104402, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-44-180) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O-360-E1A6D (registry code 42305, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-360-e1a6d) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-44-180
- Reported engine: LYCOMING O-360-E1A6D
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor
- Pilot flight hours: 800 total
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250324005709I

## Narrative

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

MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL FAILED TO REINSTALL ALL RIGHT-WING TIP CAP LOWER FASTENERS FOLLOWING MAINTENANCE AND RETURNED AIRCRAFT TO SERVICE. PILOT FAILED TO OBSERVE MISSING FASTENERS DURING PREFLIGHT. DURING A TRAINING FLIGHT THE WING TIP CAP DEPARTED THE AIRCRAFT.

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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