- Date
- November 30, 2000, 10:00 local (15:00 UTC)
- Place
- Melbourne, FL
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N617FTPiper PA-28-161
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report May 17, 2001
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 20001130041649A
- Case key
- 50697
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 NTSB’s determination of the probable cause, and any contributing factors.
The student pilot's failure to maintain a visual look out while transitioning from the active runway to a taxiway resulting in an on-ground collision with a taxiway sign.
Analysis
The student pilot was transitioning from the active runway to the taxiway on landing rollout and collided with a taxiway sign.
Factual narrative
On November 30, 2000, at about 1000 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28-161, N617FT, operating as a 14 CFR Part 91 instructional flight, collided with a taxiway sign while clearing the active runway at Melbourne International Airport, Melbourne, Florida. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and a VFR flight plan was filed. The airplane sustained substantial damage. The student pilot reported no injuries. The flight originated from Pahokee, Florida, about 1 hour before the accident.
The student pilot stated he landed on runway 4, and was instructed to turn off on taxiway "R" and to contact ground. He applied brakes to slow down and to initiate his turn to the taxiway. As he proceeded further in the turn he realized he was approaching the grass medium in-between runway 4 and "c" taxiway. He applied full brakes and the left wing collided with the taxiway sign located in the grass median.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N617FT
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-161
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 8316090
- Airframe hours
- 10,569
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-D3G, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Florida Inst Of Technology
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · November 14, 2000 · 30 hours before
- Departed
- PHK · Pahokee, FL
- Destination
- MLB
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- runway 4, 3,001 × 75 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
- Pilot
- Age
- 20
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 1, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 29 total · 29 in this make and model · 4 as pilot in command · 29 in the last 90 days · 11 in the last 30 days · 2 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 360° at 12 knots
- Visibility
- 7 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- MLB
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.