- Date
- November 16, 2017, 15:10 local (20:10 UTC)
- Place
- Melborne, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N5381FPiper PA 28R
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 14, 2018
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20171116018829A
- Case key
- 96355
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’s loss of directional control during the landing roll on the wet runway.
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
According to the pilot, during an approach in the rain, there were wind gusts, and he retracted the flaps to zero. He noted that, "I decided to land a little faster than the preferred 75-80 mph." The pilot reported that the airplane "did not settle into a normal rollout." He recalled that a few seconds into the landing roll, the airplane veered to the left and exited the left side of the runway. The airplane continued across the safety area and collided with a drainage culvert. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mounts. Photographs provided by the Federal Aviation Administration aviation safety inspector showed three parallel rubber skid markings that began about 1,500 ft from the approach end of the runway. The markings began in the center of the runway and exhibited a sharp left turn that continued along a path through the safety area and stopped at the drainage culvert. The pilot reported that the left main landing gear assembly and tire failed during the landing roll. However, an examination of the landing gear assembly, wheel, and tire revealed that there were no mechanical anomalies or failures before the runway excursion. The METAR at the accident airport reported that, about the time of the accident, the rain was light, and the wind was from 010° at 12 knots.
Factual narrative
According to the pilot, during an approach in the rain, there were wind gusts and he retracted the flaps to zero. He noted that, "I decided to land a little faster than the preferred 75-80 mph." The pilot reported that the airplane, "did not settle into a normal rollout." He recalled that a few seconds into the landing roll, the airplane veered to the left and exited the left side of the runway. The airplane continued across the safety area and collided with a drainage culvert. Photographs provided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Aviation Safety Inspector assigned to the accident, revealed three parallel rubber skid markings that began about1,500ft from the approach end of runway 9R. The markings began in the center of the runway and exhibited a sharp left turn that continued along a path through the safety area and stopped at the drainage culvert. The pilot reported that the left main landing gear assembly and tire failed during the landing roll. However, an examination of the landing gear assembly, and the wheel and tire, by the FAA Maintenance Inspector, identified that there were no anomalies or failures prior to the runway excursion. The METAR at the accident airport reported that about the time of the accident, the rain was light, and the wind was from 010° at 12kts. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mounts.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N5381F
- Reported as
- Piper PA 28R (200)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28R-7635462
- Built
- 1976
- Airframe hours
- 3,981
- Engine
- Lycoming IO-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 2, 2016
- Departed
- KFIN · Flagler Beach, FL
- Destination
- MLB · Melborne, FL
- Airport
- MLB · Melbourne Intl, runway 09R, 10,181 × 150 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS, Auto-pilot, Stall warning system
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
- Pilot
- Age
- 63
- Injuries
- Minor
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- August 6, 2017
- Seat
- Front
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 551 total · 436 in this make and model · 18 in the last 90 days · 13 in the last 30 days · 7 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 10° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 4 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 3,900 ft overcast
- Temperature
- 70 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.98 inHg
- Observed at
- KMLB
Docket · 4
The files NTSB released with the investigation on April 2, 2018, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 6.3 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.