Piper PA 28 N6764W

Summary

On 6 March 2018 at about 15:05 local time, a Piper PA 28 registered N6764W was involved in an accident near Edgewater, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 March 2018 at 15:05

Classification

Accident

Location

Edgewater, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Massey Ranch Airpark (X50)

Coordinates

28.9869, -80.9258

Aircraft

Piper PA 28

Registration

N6764W

Category

Airplane

Year built

1965

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Edgewater → Edgewater

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA18LA096

2 people were seriously injured.

The flight instructor's failure to maintain the appropriate glidepath to the runway, which resulted in a collision with trees and terrain during final approach.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor and a student pilot were practicing pattern work at the airport. Due to their injuries, they did not recall any events before the accident. A witness reported that during a landing just before the accident, the airplane was "low" on the final leg of the traffic pattern, appeared to have increased engine power to clear the tree line, and then continued on the approach. The witness did not observe the accident sequence. Examination of the accident site and wreckage revealed that the airplane struck trees before impacting the ground about 750 ft before the runway. Examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal engine operation. Given the available information, it is likely that the flight instructor allowed the airplane to descend below a normal approach path to the runway, as seen on a previous approach, which resulted in the collision with trees and terrain.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.