Piper PA-46-310P accident near Vero Beach, Florida, August 18, 2000
On August 18, 2000 at about 11:11 pm local time, a Piper PA-46-310P, registered N4380S, was substantially damaged in an accident near Vero Beach, Florida (Vero Beach Municipal airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inability to control the aircraft after landing due to a loss of engine power and landing gear failure for undetermined reasons. A factor in the severity of the accident was the impact with the airport marker lights.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 18, 2000 · about 11:11 pm local time
- Place
- Vero Beach, Florida · Vero Beach Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-46-310P · all PA-46-310Ps on the register
- Registration
- N4380S · registry record · serial 46-8508020
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a local instructional flight, a simulated engine out landing was attempted. The flight instructor stated that on short final, an unsafe gear indication occurred. The instructor then stated that an attempt was made to abort the landing and the engine failed to develop takeoff power. The airplane landed and the right main landing gear collapsed. According to the FAA Inspector on-scene, after the gear collapsed the airplane slid down the runway and struck a runway marker light substantially damaging the right wing leading edge, flap, and aileron. Examination of the engine, landing gear, and the hydraulic system, found no discrepancies.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 2,100 as pilot in command; 1,200 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,190 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, August 8, 2000; 37 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,118 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Teledyne Cont TSIO 520 BEIF (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VRB at 9:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11R, 7,296 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:52 pm from VRB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.