Piper PA-44-180 accident near Florence, South Carolina, January 16, 1988
On January 16, 1988, a Piper PA-44-180, registered N268NA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Florence, South Carolina (Florence Regional 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 16, 1988
- Place
- Florence, South Carolina · Florence Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-44-180 · all PA-44-180s on the register
- Registration
- N268NA · registry record · serial 448195010
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE LEFT MAIN LDG GEAR COLLAPSED DURING TAKEOFF ROLL, FOLLOWING A TOUCH & GO LDG. THE AIRPLANE SUBSEQUENTLY VEERED INTO A SNOWBANK. POST-CRASH EXAMINATION OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT THE LEFT MLG TRUSS BRACKET ASSY HAD PULLED LOOSE FROM THE ACFT STRUCTURE AND THAT TWO OF THE LOWER MOUNTING BOLTS WERE MISSING. THE CORRESPONDING BOLT HOLES IN THE BRACKET AND IN THE ACFT STRUCTURE EXHIBITED NO EVIDENCE OF DAMAGE. EXAM OF THE ACFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS REVEALED NO ENTRIES WITH REGARD TO ANY WORK PERFORMED ON THE TRUSS BRACKET ASSY. THE CFI RPTD THAT SHE AND HER STUDENT HAD FELT A 'BUMP' FROM THE LEFT GEAR WHILE LANDING AT ANOTHER ARPT EARLIER THAT EVENING. SHE EXAMINED THE GEAR PRIOR TO DEPARTING THE ARPT, BUT FOUND NOTHING 'UNUSUAL', EXCEPT THAT THE ACFT SEEMED LOWER ON THE LEFT SIDE.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 691 hours in all; 86 in this make and model; 175 in the last 90 days; 573 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,783 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 15, 1987; 46 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-E1A6D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: No. Amer.Institute Of Aviation
The flight
- Departed from: CAE Columbia SC
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 9, 6,498 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 ATL88LA080.