Piaggio Industrie P180 accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, March 20, 2007
On March 20, 2007 at about 2:36 pm local time, a Piaggio Industrie P180, registered N128SL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida (Hollywood International airport). It was a positioning 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 first officer's loss of directional control during landing causing the left main gear to collapse. Contributing factors in this accident were the flight crew's excessive use of brakes causing the left main tire to blow out, and the captain's inadequate supervision of the first officer.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 20, 2007 · about 2:36 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida · Hollywood International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piaggio Industrie P180
- Registration
- N128SL · no longer on the register · serial 1011
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Positioning flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The first officer was flying the airplane and was being radar vectored for an ILS (instrument landing system) approach to runway 09L. The flight was subsequently cleared for a visual approach to runway 09R. The airplane was 3 miles from the runway when the crew was informed that the wind was from 020 degrees at 7 knots. The CVR recorded crew confusion as to which runway or taxiway they were tracking towards. Both pilots thought that they had been aligned with a taxiway, not the runway. The tower instructed the flight to make a 360-degree turn. The captain took control of the airplane and subsequently the flight was cleared to join the right downwind leg for runway 09R. The captain then returned aircraft control to the first officer and continually cautioned him about excessive speed and altitude. The first officer said his speed was 120 KIAS. The last radar contact showed the airplane's ground speed at 138 knots.The captain said the airplane touched down on centerline and reverse thrust was selected. The airplane then began drifting or "pulling" to the left. The first officer attempted to correct with right rudder and then right brake. As the airplane decelerated to 60 knots, the captain engaged nose wheel steering and tried to help the first officer. The left wing then dropped and the airplane veered to the right. The captain thought they had "blown a tire." The left main landing gear collapsed and the airplane slid to a halt. The crew then evacuated the airplane. FAA inspectors and Piaggio representatives inspected the airplane and found the left main tire had blown out and separated from its rim, and fuel was leaking from the airplane onto the runway. The tire had a flat spot in the tread, with scuffing in an inboard-to-outboard direction. The left main landing gear retract actuator was fractured on the upper pivot pin. In the lower pivot area, the main gear "drag brace" was forced out of the mounting structure and bushing assembly. It was their opinion that only a strong impact with abnormal side load would cause the pivot actuator area to fail,inducing excessive bending loads on the main landing gear drag brace. This load condition could cause the tire to blow out. The crew later reported an abnormally large number of blown tires, and that the company had attributed these blowouts to "pilot error."
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: airline transport pilot, 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: 4,500 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model; 220 in the last 90 days; 72 in the last 30 days; 3,938 as pilot in command; 2,800 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 1, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Co-pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 300 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 1,500 as pilot in command; 56 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 1, 2006
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,841 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, January 1, 2007
- Maximum gross weight: 11,550 lb
- Seats: 9
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-66 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TEB Teterboro NJ at 11:00 am
- Destination: FLL Fort Lauderdale FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 09R, 5,276 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,500 ft; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.31 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from FLL
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.
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.