20250510004699A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Piper PA-32RT-300 · Yulee, FL · May 10, 2025

Date
May 10, 2025 · 09:35 local
Place
Yulee, FL
Airport
Nassau
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Rotation
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N30689
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA25FA201
Reported as
Piper PA-32RT-300
Reported engine
Lycoming TI0-540 series
People aboard
1
Fatal injuries
1
Other injuries
0
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry 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.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

On 05/10/2025, aircraft privacy data omitted departed from Nassau Airport (83FL), Yulee, Florida at approximately 09:34 am. The aircraft impacted the ground shortly after takeoff, approximately 525 ft to the northwest of the end of runway 30. The left wing contacted a tree prior to impact and broke away from the airframe. A majority of the aircraft was consumed in the post crash fire. The pilot was fatally injured during the impact and post crash fire.

A single witness standing near the runway 12 threshold stated he saw the accident aircraft struggling to maintain adequate power during its takeoff roll. The witness also stated a heavy rain began during the aircraft takeoff. The witness stated he saw the aircraft gain an altitude of approximatley 50-60 ft above ground level (AGL) on take-off and immediately rolled to the left to an inverted - nose down position. The aircraft then impacted the ground out of sight beyond the tree line.

During an inspection of the runway, a box containing six (6) quarts of privacy data omitted W100 plus engine oil was found 50FT from the aircraft starting point of runway 12. A fifteen pound (15 lb) bag of dog food was found at 600FT from the takeoff starting point.

A post crash inspection of the aircraft showed several items located within the aft baggage compartment, including; two (2) folding electric bicycles, an additional 15 pound bag of dog food, 2 to 3 suitcases of clothing, two (2) empty magazines for two separate small firearms, and spent casings that cooked off from the post crash fire. The remains of a styrofoam cooler was discovered between the pilot and copilot seats that contain five (5) one ounce bottles of alcholic beverages. Two (2) lithium rechargable tool batteries were discovered on the ground in front of the aircraft. Both the tool batteries and electric bicycle batteries were determined not to be contributing factors of the accident.

Surveillance video from a camera located at the med trans corp. hangar on the departure end of runway 12 (view looking northwest) shows the accident aircraft taxiing out to the main runway, and back-taxiing to the holding area of runway 12. The forward baggage compartment door can be seen closed between the 0:06 and 0:19 seconds of the video. The aircraft begins its takeoff roll at 1:16. Between 1:27 and 1:28 the forward baggage compartment door is seen in the open position. The open baggage door coincides with the items found on the runway.

As the FAA filed it

ON 05/10/2025, AIRCRAFT ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ DEPARTED FROM NASSAU AIRPORT (83FL), YULEE, FLORIDA AT APPROXIMATELY 09:34 AM. THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND SHORTLY AFTER TAKEOFF, APPROXIMATELY 525 FT TO THE NORTHWEST OF THE END OF RUNWAY 30. THE LEFT WING CONTACTED A TREE PRIOR TO IMPACT AND BROKE AWAY FROM THE AIRFRAME. A MAJORITY OF THE AIRCRAFT WAS CONSUMED IN THE POST CRASH FIRE. THE PILOT WAS FATALLY INJURED DURING THE IMPACT AND POST CRASH FIRE.

A SINGLE WITNESS STANDING NEAR THE RUNWAY 12 THRESHOLD STATED HE SAW THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT STRUGGLING TO MAINTAIN ADEQUATE POWER DURING ITS TAKEOFF ROLL. THE WITNESS ALSO STATED A HEAVY RAIN BEGAN DURING THE AIRCRAFT TAKEOFF. THE WITNESS STATED HE SAW THE AIRCRAFT GAIN AN ALTITUDE OF APPROXIMATLEY 50-60 FT ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL) ON TAKE-OFF AND IMMEDIATELY ROLLED TO THE LEFT TO AN INVERTED - NOSE DOWN POSITION. THE AIRCRAFT THEN IMPACTED THE GROUND OUT OF SIGHT BEYOND THE TREE LINE.

DURING AN INSPECTION OF THE RUNWAY, A BOX CONTAINING SIX (6) QUARTS OF ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ W100 PLUS ENGINE OIL WAS FOUND 50FT FROM THE AIRCRAFT STARTING POINT OF RUNWAY 12. A FIFTEEN POUND (15 LB) BAG OF DOG FOOD WAS FOUND AT 600FT FROM THE TAKEOFF STARTING POINT.

A POST CRASH INSPECTION OF THE AIRCRAFT SHOWED SEVERAL ITEMS LOCATED WITHIN THE AFT BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT, INCLUDING; TWO (2) FOLDING ELECTRIC BICYCLES, AN ADDITIONAL 15 POUND BAG OF DOG FOOD, 2 TO 3 SUITCASES OF CLOTHING, TWO (2) EMPTY MAGAZINES FOR TWO SEPARATE SMALL FIREARMS, AND SPENT CASINGS THAT COOKED OFF FROM THE POST CRASH FIRE. THE REMAINS OF A STYROFOAM COOLER WAS DISCOVERED BETWEEN THE PILOT AND COPILOT SEATS THAT CONTAIN FIVE (5) ONE OUNCE BOTTLES OF ALCHOLIC BEVERAGES. TWO (2) LITHIUM RECHARGABLE TOOL BATTERIES WERE DISCOVERED ON THE GROUND IN FRONT OF THE AIRCRAFT. BOTH THE TOOL BATTERIES AND ELECTRIC BICYCLE BATTERIES WERE DETERMINED NOT TO BE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS OF THE ACCIDENT.

SURVEILLANCE VIDEO FROM A CAMERA LOCATED AT THE MED TRANS CORP. HANGAR ON THE DEPARTURE END OF RUNWAY 12 (VIEW LOOKING NORTHWEST) SHOWS THE ACCIDENT AIRCRAFT TAXIING OUT TO THE MAIN RUNWAY, AND BACK-TAXIING TO THE HOLDING AREA OF RUNWAY 12. THE FORWARD BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT DOOR CAN BE SEEN CLOSED BETWEEN THE 0:06 AND 0:19 SECONDS OF THE VIDEO. THE AIRCRAFT BEGINS ITS TAKEOFF ROLL AT 1:16. BETWEEN 1:27 AND 1:28 THE FORWARD BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT DOOR IS SEEN IN THE OPEN POSITION. THE OPEN BAGGAGE DOOR COINCIDES WITH THE ITEMS FOUND ON THE RUNWAY.

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 N30689 · 1

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