Piper PA-28-161 N473FT
3 February 1990 · Sebastian, Florida, United States · Fatal
Summary
On 3 February 1990 at about 15:47 local time, a Piper PA-28-161 registered N473FT, operated by FL Institute of Technology, was involved in an accident near Sebastian, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and one died, one was seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 15:47
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Sebastian, Florida, United States
- Nearest airport
- Sebastian Muni (X26)
- Coordinates
- 27.7797, -80.4803
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161
- Registration
- N473FT
- Category
- Airplane
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- FL Institute of Technology
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Palm Beach → Valkaria
- Aircraft damage
- Destroyed
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Day
- NTSB number
- MIA90FA067
People
1 person died.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Probable cause
FAILURE OF THE AA-1A PILOT TO SEE-AND-AVOID THE PIPER PA-28 WHICH HAD ENTERED TRAFFIC FIRST. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: FAILURE OF THE PA-28 PILOT TO SEE THE AMERICAN AA-1A, WHEN THE AA-1A WAS ON A BASE LEG AND THE PA-28 WAS FURTHER OUT ON FINAL APPROACH.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
A MIDAIR COLLISION OCCURRED BETWEEN A PIPER PA-28, N473FT, & AN AMERICAN AA-1A, N9486L, AS THE 2 ACFT WERE ON FINAL APCH TO LAND ON RWY 13 AT AN UNCTLD ARPT. BOTH ACFT THEN CRASHED TO THE GROUND. THE PLT OF THE AA-1A SURVIVED THE ACDNT, BUT DUE TO INJURIES, HE COULD NOT RECALL DETAILS OF THE OCCURRENCE. THE AA-1A WAS INITIALLY IN LEFT TRAFFIC BEHIND THE PA-28. A CFI (IN TRAFFIC AHEAD OF BOTH ACFT) HEARD THE PA-28 PLT RPRT ON A 1-3/4 MI FINAL APCH. HE THEN HEARD THE AA-1A PLT RPRT ON BASE LEG. THEREAFTER, THE CFI HEARD THE AA-1A PLT RPRT TURNING ON A SHORT FINAL APCH & BECAME AWARE OF A POTENTIAL TRAFFIC CONFLICT. THE CFI THEN SAW THE AA-1A IN A LEFT TURN ON THE RGT SIDE OF THE FINAL APCH PATH, AS IF THE PLT HAD OVERSHOT THE TURN TO FINAL. ALSO, HE SAW THE PA-28 ON FINAL APCH. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE 2 ACFT CONVERGED & COLLIDED. DURING IMPACT, THE PROP & NOSEWHEEL OF THE AA-1A HIT THE EMPENNAGE OF THE PA-28.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piper PA-28-161 PA-28-161 | N473FT | FL Institute of Technology | Destroyed |
| American AA-1A AA-1A | N9486L | Cooper, Roger L. | Destroyed |
Other Piper PA-28 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Dec 1990 | Piper PA-28-151 | Jupiter, Florida, United States | Zimmerman, Barry L. | No injuries | - |
| 24 Apr 1990 | Piper PA-28-161 | Chandler, Arizona, United States | Chandler Air Service | No injuries | - |
| 13 Oct 1990 | Piper PA-28-140 | Agua Dulce, California, United States | R.i. Flying Club | Serious injuries | - |
| 20 May 1990 | Piper PA-28-181 | East Lansing, Michigan, United States | J. J. Tiefenthaler | Fatal | 1 |
| 8 Apr 1990 | Piper PA-28-140 | Forsyth, Montana, United States | - | Serious injuries | - |
| 14 Feb 1990 | Piper PA-28-161 | Roseland, Florida, United States | PRO Flite of Vero, Inc. | No injuries | - |
All 9,402 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 Jan 1990 | Lockheed L1329 | Miami, Florida, United States | Tokoph, David | Fatal | 1 |
| 12 Dec 1990 | Cessna 172G | Jacksonville, Florida, United States | Weeks, Milton D. | Serious injuries | - |
| 6 Jan 1990 | Piper PA-30 | Tallahassee, Florida, United States | Calley, Nicholas O. | Serious injuries | - |
| 20 Jan 1990 | Piper J-3 | Clewiston, Florida, United States | Nesbitt, James K. | Fatal | 2 |
| 15 Dec 1990 | Beechcraft F33A | Lakeland, Florida, United States | Globe Aero Ltd. | No injuries | - |
| 2 Feb 1990 | Beechcraft 58 | Pensacola, Florida, United States | - | Fatal | 2 |