Piper PA-46-500TP accident near Vero Beach, Florida, January 31, 2007
On January 31, 2007 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-46-500TP, registered N760C, was substantially damaged in an accident near Vero Beach, Florida. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An in-flight collision with a bird while maneuvering, which resulted in structural damage to the left wing of the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 31, 2007 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Vero Beach, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-46-500TP · all PA-46-500TPs on the register
- Registration
- N760C · registry record · serial 4697289
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private certificated pilot/owner, accompanied by a certificated flight instructor and a passenger, departed on a Title 14, CFR Part 91 local area instructional flight in a new, high performance airplane. As part of the purchase of the airplane, the instructor was providing transition training into the new airplane to the pilot/owner and the passenger. As the pilot was maneuvering the airplane in simulated instrument conditions, the left wing of the airplane was struck by a large bird. The collision resulted in structural damage to the wing, and a fuel leak when the left wing fuel tank was ruptured. An emergency landing was made at the departure airport.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,607 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 17 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Other crew
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,000 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-42A (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KVRB Vero Beach FL
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 12 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 57°F (14°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.