# Incident 20250412006619I: Piper PA-28-180, Zephyrhills, FL, April 12, 2025

- Type: FAA incident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: April 12, 2025, 12:15 local time
- Place: Zephyrhills, FL
- Airport: Zephyrhills Municipal
- Damage: Minor damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 28.2267° N, 82.1556° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs at ZEPHYRHILLS MUNI (ZPH), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=28.2267&lon=-82.1556&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7620W, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N7620W-2026-09-14) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-28-180 (registry code 7102808, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-180) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 series (registry code 41514, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-180
- Reported engine: LYCOMING O&VO-360 SER
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 0
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot, student
- Pilot flight hours: 107 total, 20 in this make and model, 6 in the last 90 days
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250412006619I

## Narrative

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

PILOT PRACTICING IFR MANEUVERS, SIMULATING INSTRUMENT CONDITIONS USING VIEW-LIMITING EYEWEAR.

AROUND 11:10AM WE PERFORMED AN INSTRUMENT (RNAV) APPROACH TO RUNWAY 05, AND MAINTAINED STABLE COURSE AND DESCENT THROUGH THE AIMER FINAL APPROACH FIX AND ONWARD.

APPROACHING THE DECISION ALTITUDE, PILOT REMOVED VIEW-LIMITING EYEWEAR AND  VISUALLY IDENTIFIED THE RUNWAY.

IDENTIFIED PAPI GUIDANCE LIGHTS SHOWING 2 WHITE AND 2 RED.

DUE TO CROSS WIND, I GOT OFF TO THE RIGHT OF RUNWAY CENTER LINE NEARING APPROACH END OF THE RUNWAY.

TRIED CORRECTING BUT WAS STILL RIGHT OF CENTER, BUT STILL WITHIN RUNWAY WIDTH.

AIRSPEED WAS LITTLE FAST,  REDUCED THROTTLE, BUT DIDN’T REMOVE ALL THROTTLE, BASED ON PAST EXPERIENCE DESCENDING TOO FAST WITHOUT ANY THROTTLE.

PULLED THE YOKE BACK TO FLARE THE NOSE TOO EARLY, CAUSING THE AIRCRAFT TO BALLOON/CLIMB BRIEFLY.

LANDED CROOKED (NOSE POINTED LEFT) AND SKIPPED TO THE RIGHT, AND WENT OFF THE RUNWAY TO THE RIGHT.

HIT A RUNWAY SIGN TO THE FAR RIGHT OF TAXIWAY B INTERSECTION, LIKELY BREAKING RIGHT MAIN LANDING GEAR. SLID THROUGH THE GRASS, NARROWLY MISSING THE WINDSOCK POLE, FINALLY COMING TO A STOP.

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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