Piper PA-28-161 N47749
23 May 2012 · Melbourne, Florida, United States · No injuries
Summary
On 23 May 2012 at about 02:00 local time, a Piper PA-28-161 registered N47749, operated by FIT Aviation LLC, was involved in an accident near Melbourne, Florida, United States. 3 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.
The record
- Date
- at 02:00
- Classification
- Accident
- Location
- Melbourne, Florida, United States
- Nearest airport
- Melbourne International (MLB)
- Coordinates
- 28.1025, -80.6450
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161
- Registration
- N47749
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1977
- Engines
- 1
- Operator
- FIT Aviation LLC
- Operating rule
- Part 91: General Aviation
- Purpose of flight
- Instructional
- Phase of flight
- Not recorded
- Route
- Melbourne → Melbourne
- Aircraft damage
- Minor
- Weather
- VMC
- Light
- Night
- NTSB number
- ERA12LA355
People
Nobody was injured.
| On board | Died | Serious | Minor | Uninjured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Probable cause
The pilot’s failure to set the parking brake and to maintain a proper visual lookout, which resulted in an on-ground collision with another airplane.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.
Read the full NTSB narrative
The pilot of N602FT reported that, while holding short of the runway waiting for departure, he noticed another airplane stop behind his airplane. A few seconds later, the airplane was struck from behind by N47749. N602FT's position, landing, and strobe lights were illuminated when the accident occurred. The pilot of N47749 reported that he was number three for departure behind N602FT. While the pilot was looking at the tachometer, the airplane slowly moved forward, struck N602FT, and severed the outer 2 feet of the left outboard portion of N602FT's horizontal stabilator. The pilot realized after the collision that he had not set the parking brake. He thought that his feet were on the brake pedals but that he did not put "much pressure" on them before the crash. Postaccident examination of N47749's brake system did not reveal evidence of any preimpact failure or malfunction that would have precluded normal operation. When actuated, both the toe brakes and the parking brake were functional.
Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.
Aircraft involved
| Aircraft | Registration | Operator | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Piper PA-28-161 | N47749 | FIT Aviation LLC | Minor |
| Piper PA-28-161 | N602FT | F I T Aviation LLC | Substantial |
Other Piper PA-28 accidents
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 Jul 2012 | Piper PA-28-140 | Pensacola, Florida, United States | ARD Jonathan L | Serious injuries | - |
| 10 Sep 2012 | Piper PA-28-140 | Boonville, Indiana, United States | JF Aircraft LLC | No injuries | - |
| 19 Nov 2012 | Piper PA-28-180 | Canton, Connecticut, United States | Donald J. Derocher | Fatal | 2 |
| 4 Jun 2012 | Piper PA-28-181 | Put-in-Bay, Ohio, United States | Bluffton Sky Pirates Inc | No injuries | - |
| 21 Sep 2012 | Piper PA-28-180 | Berlin, New Jersey, United States | Salisbury Airplane Associates Inc | No injuries | - |
| 21 Nov 2012 | Piper PA-28-180 | Hillsdale, Michigan, United States | Clarence J Avery | Fatal | 1 |
All 9,402 records for this type
Other accidents in this area
| Date | Aircraft | Location | Operator | Outcome | Died |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 Sep 2012 | Beagle B206 SERIES 2 | Perry, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 22 Sep 2012 | Cessna 172S | Land O'Lakes, Florida, United States | - | Fatal | 1 |
| 3 Apr 2012 | Jones SA105 | New Smyrna Beach, Florida, United States | - | No injuries | - |
| 24 Feb 2012 | Cessna 172S | Key West, Florida, United States | Dean International Inc. | Fatal | 2 |
| 14 Jul 2012 | Aeronca 7CCM | Ocklawaha, Florida, United States | Leo G Janssens | Minor injuries | - |
| 7 Jun 2012 | Pilatus PC-12/47 | Lake Wales, Florida, United States | Roadside Ventures, L.L.C. | Fatal | 6 |