Piper PA-28R-201 accident near Vero Beach, Florida, July 10, 1998
On July 10, 1998 at about 12:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-201, registered N1493H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Vero Beach, Florida (Vero Beach Muni 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 pilot's improper flare which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 10, 1998 · about 12:30 pm local time
- Place
- Vero Beach, Florida · Vero Beach Muni Airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-201 · all PA-28R-201s on the register
- Registration
- N1493H · registry record · serial 28R-7737004
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the operator, one pilot was receiving instruction to be a certified flight instructor (CFI), and was operating the flight controls. He requested an option takeoff from the tower, to accomplish a simulated engine failure on takeoff, with a landing straight ahead on the departure runway, runway 22. About 50 to 100 feet above the ground, he reduced the throttle to initiate the simulated engine malfunction. When the airplane was flared for the simulated emergency landing, a high sink rate was not arrested, and the airplane collided with the runway. The airplane came to rest in the intersection of runway 22 and 29.
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: 320 hours in all; 7 in this make and model; 74 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days; 244 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 44,373 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, June 22, 1998; 26 hours since
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO 360-C1-C6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VRB
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 22, 4,975 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 12 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 12:32 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 ATL98LA096.