Piper PA-39 accident near Kissimmee, Florida, December 13, 2003
On December 13, 2003 at about 6:04 pm local time, a Piper PA-39, registered N230SW, was substantially damaged in an accident near Kissimmee, Florida (Kissimmee Gateway 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control which resulted in a collision with terrain and obstacles following a loss of right engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 13, 2003 · about 6:04 pm local time
- Place
- Kissimmee, Florida · Kissimmee Gateway Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-39 · all PA-39s on the register
- Registration
- N230SW · registry record · serial 39-37
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During takeoff the right engine lost power. Approximately 20 feet above the ground after takeoff, the airplane was drifting to the right and the pilot said that he "chopped" the left engine and landed on the right side of runway 15 in the grass. The airplane bounced over taxiway B and then hit a runway sign and a taxi light. The pilot did not report any mechanical problems with the airplane prior to the accident. Examination of the wreckage revealed damage to the left wing and a severed left tip tank. The fuel selectors were found in the center position and there were a total of 14 gallons of fuel onboard. The engines were taken to Sunstate Aviation at Kissimmee Airport for further examination. The magneto checks were good and both engines were run for 20 minutes, up to a power setting of 2650 rpm. Both engines had no difficulty starting, going through power settings or maintaining maximum output power. A review of performance data from the Pilot's Operating Handbook, revealed that the accelerate stop distance is 2470 feet. Runway 15 is 6000 feet long by 100 feet wide, and the airplane came to rest approximately 3400 feet from the departure end of the runway.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 12,000 hours in all; 130 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: October 28, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,409.4 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 4, 2003
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Skyway Aircraft Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: ISM Kissimmee FL at 6:03 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Wind: from 160° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,500 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 6:15 pm from ISM
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL04LA052.