Piper PA-32-300 accident near Lake Wales, Florida, October 24, 2001
On October 24, 2001 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-300, registered N4033W, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lake Wales, Florida (Private Strip airport). It was a personal 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 improper decision to land on a wet sod runway which resulted in a loss of directional control during landing. Factors were the wet grass strip which allowed the airplane to hydroplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 24, 2001 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Wales, Florida · Private Strip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N4033W · registry record · serial 32-40055
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, while landing on a private grass strip, the airplane hydroplaned and veered off the left side of the runway striking a fence. The pilot said that it had rained earlier and the grass strip was wet with some standing water. The pilot did not report over flying the grass strip prior to landing to determine the landing surface condition.
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: 179 hours in all; 55 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days; 120 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 9, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,944 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 12, 2001; 90 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X16 Vandenburg FL at 5:30 pm
- Destination: X25 Lake Wales FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 3,500 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,700 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 79°F (26°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from TPA, 45 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.