# NTSB MIA89FA033: Piper PA-28-181, N8342L, Jacksonville, FL, November 14, 1988

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Fatal · Field investigation · Final report
- Date: November 13, 1988, 20:53 local (Nov 14, 1988, 01:53 UTC)
- Place: Jacksonville, FL
- Location: 30.5071° N, 81.6952° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs from NTSB’s distance and direction from JACKSONVILLE INTL (JAX), within about a mile (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=30.5071&lon=-81.6952&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Approach](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/500) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Highest injury: Fatal
- Injuries: 4 fatal
- Status: Completed, report November 27, 1989
- Report: Approved by Office Director
- Safety recommendations: Yes
- NTSB case key (mKey): 32267
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=MIA89FA033
- NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/32267/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/MIA89FA033

## Sequence of events

In NTSB's coding before 2008 (https://www.ntsb.gov/GILS/Documents/codman.pdf).

- In flight collision with object, approach
  - aircraft weight and balance - improper, pilot in command
  - flight/nav instruments,turn and bank indicator - inoperative (contributing factor)
  - operation with known deficiencies in equipment - performed, pilot in command (contributing factor)
  - light condition - night (contributing factor)
  - weather condition - low ceiling (contributing factor)
  - weather condition - fog (contributing factor)
  - weather condition - obscuration (contributing factor)
  - ifr procedure - improper, pilot in command (cause)
  - proper alignment - not maintained, pilot in command (contributing factor)
  - decision height - improper use of, pilot in command (cause)
  - object - tree(s) (contributing factor)
  - missed approach - not attained, pilot in command (cause)

## Analysis

DRG A NGT ARRIVAL, THE PLT REQUESTED A SPECIAL VFR CLNC TO THE ARPT & WAS ADZD THAT THE WX WAS PARTIALLY OBSCURED, VIS WAS 1 MI WITH FOG & THE WIND WAS CALM. AS HE CONTD THE APCH, ALL FLTS WERE ADZD THE VIS HAD DROPPED TO 1/2 MI. THE PLT REQUESTED CLNC FOR AN ILS RWY 7 APCH. AFTER BEING CLRD FOR THE APCH, HE WAS ADZD THE RVR WAS '2000 TOUCHDOWN . . . MID- POINT 1000 & ROLLOUT 1600.'  CONTACT WITH THE ACFT WAS LOST AS IT APCHD THE ARPT. LATER, THE ACFT WAS FND WHERE IT HAD COLLIDED WITH TREES & CRASHED APRX 1400 FT LEFT OF THE RWY & 500 FT PAST THE THRESHOLD. AN INV REVEALED THAT INITIAL IMPACT WAS IN A LVL ATTITUDE. AN EXAM OF THE ACFT REVEALED THE FLAPS WERE FULLY RETRACTED & THE THROTTLE WAS FULL OPEN. PROP DAMAGE INDCD THERE WAS ROTATION AT HIGH RPM DURING IMPACT. RECORDS SHOWED THE ACFT HAD AN INOP TURN COORDINATOR. NO OTHER PART FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION WAS EVIDENT. A CHECK OF THE WT & BALANCE INFO SHOWED THAT WHEN THE ACFT CRASHED, IT WAS APRX 55 LBS OVER THE MAX GROSS WT LIMITATION & THE CENTER-OF-GRAVITY (CG) WAS APRX .5 INCH BEHIND THE AFT LIMIT.

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N8342L](https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N8342L-1991-10-01), registration cancelled 1991-10-01, S/N 288190170 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-181
- Registry model: [Piper PA-28-181](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-181) (registry code 7102807) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 28-81901170
- Airframe hours: 3819
- Engines: LYCOMING O-360-A4M 180 horsepower reciprocating
- Damage: Destroyed
- Flight: Part 135
- Registered owner: Taj Fbo Corp.
- Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection: 100 hour, November 7, 1988, 17 hours before
- Departed: SSI, BRUNSWICK, GA
- Destination: JAX, JACKSONVILLE, FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Airport: JAX, Jacksonville Int'L, runway 7, 8,000 × 150 ft, asphalt

## Flight crew

As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.

- Pilot; age 39; commercial; airplane ratings: multi-engine land, single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, valid medical--no waivers/lim.; seat: left; toxicology performed; flight hours: 1,580 total, 50 in this make and model, 1,411 as pilot in command, 45 in the last 90 days, 15 in the last 30 days, 1 in the last 24 hours

## Weather

- Conditions: Instrument (IMC), Night/dark
- Wind: 40° at 3 knots
- Lowest ceiling: 100 ft broken
- Temperature: 64 °F, dew point 63 °F
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observed at: JAX

## FAA reports on this event (1)

The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs).

- [Accident 19881113050499A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/19881113050499A), Nov 13, 1988: Piper PA28181, Jacksonville, FL, Destroyed, 4 fatal. Struck trees on night IFR missed approach in IMC that was below minimums. Aircraft was also over gross weight.

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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