- Date
- February 13, 2024, 18:40 local (23:40 UTC)
- Place
- Melbourne, FL · MLB Airport
- Injuries
- 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N650FTPiper PA28
- Defining event
- Taxi-into takeoff position: Wrong surface or wrong airport
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20240213000529A
- Case key
- 193798
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 pilot receiving instruction’s failure to correctly identify the runway centerline prior to initiating the nighttime takeoff, which resulted in a collision with a runway edge light and subsequent runway excursion. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's inadequate monitoring of the pilot.
Findings · 3
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
The pilot receiving instruction reported that after receiving clearance from the control tower to take off, he taxied onto the runway during nighttime conditions. As the airplane proceeded along the center of the taxiway, he mistook the right runway edge line for the runway centerline and attempted to take off. During the takeoff roll, the airplane impacted a runway edge light, and went into the grass area adjacent to the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the horizontal stabilator and the right wing during the accident. The pilot and the flight instructor reported there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N650FT
- Reported as
- Piper PA28 (181)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 2843710
- Built
- 2013
- Airframe hours
- 5,758.6
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Florida Institute Of Technology, doing business as FIT Aviation, LLC
- Registered owner
- Florida Institute Of Technology
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · January 13, 2024 · 97.3 hours before
- Departed
- MLB · Melbourne, FL
- Destination
- SRQ · Sarasota, FL
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- MLB · Melbourne Orlando Intl, runway 09R, 10,181 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, Electronic primary flight display, Electronic multifunction display, Auto-pilot, ADS-B
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 24
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- January 30, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 177 total · 45 in this make and model · 88 as pilot in command · 13 in the last 90 days · 9 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 27
- Injuries
- None
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Multi-engine land, Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 1, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- February 5, 2024
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 1,108 total · 274 in this make and model · 1,014 as pilot in command · 190 in the last 90 days · 77 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night
- Wind
- 40° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 63 °F, dew point 55 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.03 inHg
- Observed at
- MLB
- METAR
- KMLB 132353Z 04006KT 10SM CLR 17/13 A3003 RMK AO2 SLP167 T01720128 10239 20172 51027 $
Docket · 6
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 30, 2024, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.7 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.