- Date
- June 28, 2013, 08:37 local (12:37 UTC)
- Place
- Okeechobee, FL
- Injuries
- 1 minor
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N614FTPiper PA-28-161
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR go-around: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report August 13, 2013
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20130628011119A
- Case key
- 87331
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The student pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during a go-around.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
In preparation for landing during a solo cross country flight, the pilot configured the airplane with full flaps and reduced engine power nearly to idle. On landing, the airplane touched down hard and bounced. After electing to perform a go-around, the pilot retracted one notch of flaps and added full power, but the airplane did not climb. While in flight the airplane turned left, departed the runway and continued through a fence until it impacted a palm tree, flipped over and came to rest resulting in substantial damage to the wings. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that could have precluded this operation.
Factual narrative
In preparation for landing during a solo cross country flight, the pilot configured the airplane with full flaps and reduced engine power nearly to idle. On landing, the airplane touched down hard and bounced. After electing to perform a go-around, the pilot retracted one notch of flaps and added full power, but the airplane did not climb. While in flight the airplane turned left, departed the runway and continued through a fence until it impacted a palm tree, flipped over and came to rest resulting in substantial damage to the wings. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies that could have precluded this operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N614FT
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2841237
- Airframe hours
- 18,200
- Engine
- Lycoming 0-320 SERIES, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Pan Am Ab Initio Inc.
- Registered owner
- Aviation Estate International Inc.
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · June 13, 2013 · 45 hours before
- Departed
- FXE · Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Destination
- OBE · Okeechobee, FL
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- OBE · Okeechobee County, runway 23, 5,000 × 100 ft, asphalt
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Student pilot
- Age
- 30
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- June 22, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 36 total · 36 in this make and model · 7 as pilot in command · 36 in the last 90 days · 30 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 240° at 3 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- OBE
Docket · 7
The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 25, 2013, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 9.4 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.