Piper PA28 N637FT

Summary

On 20 October 2019 at about 17:46 local time, a Piper PA28 registered N637FT, operated by F I T Aviation Llc, was involved in an accident near Wedgefield, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause statement is available for this record.

Date

20 October 2019 at 17:46

Classification

Accident

Location

Wedgefield, Florida, United States

Coordinates

28.1028, -80.6453

Aircraft

Piper PA28

Registration

N637FT

Category

Airplane

Year built

2008

Engines

1

Operator

F I T Aviation Llc

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Melbourne → Leesburg

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

IMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA20CA038

Nobody was injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. No probable cause statement is present in the source data.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The flight instructor reported that, while en route on an instrument flight plan, about 4000 ft, the airplane entered a cloud where a flock of large black birds were circling. A bird impacted the stabilator, and he then disengaged the autopilot and checked the flight controls for any adverse effects; he did not see any. The instructor then chose to return to the departure airport and landed without further incident. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the stabilator. The instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.