Piper PA-28-161 accident near Lake Wales, Florida, October 23, 1999
On October 23, 1999 at about 5:05 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N616FT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lake Wales, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The carburetor icing conditions that were present. Factors were the failure of the pilot to follow the emergency procedures checklist, and the objects that included a flag pole, a road sign and a tractor trailer vehicle.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 23, 1999 · about 5:05 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Wales, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N616FT · no longer on the register · serial 2841239
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After performing a touch and go landing, the pilot initiated a turn toward the north and leveled off in cruise flight at 2,500 ft. msl. Shortly thereafter, the engine began running rough. He attempted to divert to a private airstrip and failed to follow the emergency procedures checklist. Lacking sufficient altitude to glide to the airstrip, he decided land on an adjacent highway. During the landing rollout, the right wing of the airplane struck a flag pole, a road information sign, and the side of a tractor trailer. An examination of the engine was conducted by an FAA inspector. The engine was started and ran at all power settings, and no mechanical discrepancies were found. According to reported weather conditions, the temperature and dew point were 77 and 61 degrees F., respectively. Conditions at the time were favorable for the formation of carburetor icing.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 50 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 14 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days; 15 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,600 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 18, 1999; 23 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,332 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X07 FL at 4:55 pm
- Destination: MLB Melbourne FL
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:51 pm from BOW, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N616FT the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.