# NTSB ERA24LA250: Piper PA28R, N287ND, Vero Beach, FL, June 7, 2024

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report
- Date: June 7, 2024, 09:00 local (13:00 UTC)
- Place: Vero Beach, FL
- Coordinates: 27.655555, -80.417954 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=27.6556&lon=-80.4180&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Prior to flight](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/100) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Prior to flight: Aircraft structural failure](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/337)
- Highest injury: No injuries
- Injuries: 2 uninjured
- 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
- NTSB case key (mKey): 194424
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA24LA250
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/194424/pdf
- NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=194424
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA24LA250

## Probable cause

Excessive side loading of the vertical stabilizer.

## Findings

NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause.

- [Empennage structure: vertical stabilizer](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01035530): Aircraft › Aircraft structures · Capability exceeded (probable cause); cases with it: [Piper PA-28R-201, 1 case](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01035530/cases.md?model=7102816), [All aircraft, 10 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/01035530/cases.md)

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Prior to flight: Aircraft structural failure](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/337) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-28R-201, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/337/sequence.md?model=7102816), [All aircraft, 290 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/337/sequence.md)

## Analysis

During a preflight inspection of a flight school airplane, the flight instructor noticed a missing rivet on the left side of the vertical stabilizer. He also noticed that the skin of the vertical stabilizer was bent outwards. The flight instructor walked around to the right side of the airplane and noticed that the same rivet was missing on that side, and the skin was also bent outwards. He called the maintenance department out to the airplane to look at the damage. They subsequently told him the airplane was not airworthy and to write it up as a discrepancy. The maintenance department immediately grounded all the other airplanes and inspected the vertical stabilizers for any damage. No other damage was noted on the remaining 49 airplanes of the flight school operator’s fleet. It could not be determined when the damage to the vertical stabilizer occurred, but the damage was likely the result of excessive side loading of the vertical stabilizer during flight.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N287ND](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N287ND), registered now, S/N 2844036, built 2000 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA28R (201)
- Registry model: [Piper PA-28R-201](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28r-201) (registry code 7102816) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming I0360 SER A&C](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-i0360-ser-a-c) (registry code 41511, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 2844036
- Year built: 2000
- Airframe hours: 8899
- Engines: LYCOMING IO360 SER A&C 200 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Instructional, Part 91
- Registered owner: Skyborne Airline Academy Inc
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: AAIP, April 26, 2024, 44 hours before
- Airport: VRB, Vero Beach Regional
- Equipment: Stall warning system, Electronic multifunction display, Electronic flight bag or handheld device, ADS-B, Electronic primary flight display, Onboard weather

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 290° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 82 °F, dew point 73 °F
- Altimeter: 29.91 inHg
- Observed at: FPR, 10 nm away
- METAR: KFPR 071253Z COR 29004KT 9SM FU CLR 28/23 A2991 RMK AO2 SLP127 T02830228

## Docket (4 files)

The files NTSB released with the investigation on July 18, 2024, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=194424. 4.0 MB in all.

- Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 11 pages, 2.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17275832&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120-Rel.pdf
- Flight instructor written statement (item 2, PDF, 1 page, 73 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17275608&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Flight%20instructor%20statement-Rel.pdf
- Investigative photographs (item 3, PDF, 5 pages, 283 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17276249&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Investigative%20Photos-Rel.pdf
- Fleet inspection report (item 4, PDF, 3 pages, 1.6 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=17276351&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Fleet%20Inspection%20of%20Vertical%20Fin%20Attachments_Redacted-Rel.pdf

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

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