Piper PA-28-180 accident near Vero Beach, Florida, February 23, 2002
On February 23, 2002 at about 4:40 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N7345W, was destroyed in an accident near Vero Beach, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight's encounter with isolated severe to extreme turbulence that resulted in an in-flight breakup of the airplane and subsequent impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 23, 2002 · about 4:40 pm local time
- Place
- Vero Beach, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N7345W · no longer on the register · serial 28-1222
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
At 1117 the pilot called Miami Center stating that he was leaving 4,500 feet for 5,000 feet. At 1140 Miami Center advised the pilot several times that radar contact was lost, but there was no response, and there was no further contact with the pilot. Examination of the wreckage on-scene, found the cockpit, engine, and a small portion of the aft empennage in a confined area with the cockpit and instruments fire damaged. The wings, vertical stabilizer, horizontal stabilator, and pieces of the empennage were found scattered within 500 feet of the cockpit area. The right aileron and flap, were not located. A review of available weather data showed that a frontal boundary was situated in the vicinity of the accident location. The Melbourne Doppler radar indicated that a moderate rain shower was near the accident location at the accident time. In addition, the radar's Velocity Azimuth Display wind profiles around the accident time indicated that the wind below 3,000 feet was from the north-northeast and the wind at 5,000 feet was from the south at 15-20 knots producing updrafts of localized severe to extreme turbulence. Pilot reports indicated that Instrument Meteorological Conditions were present in the accident area.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,400 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A3A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: F45 Palm Beach FL at 4:13 pm
- Destination: ORL Orlando FL
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,400 ft; scat at 900 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.77 inHg
- Observation at 4:44 pm from VRB, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| 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.