Piper PA32 accident near Merritt Island, Florida, March 20, 2009
On March 20, 2009 at about 3:45 pm local time, a Piper PA32, registered N81912, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Merritt Island, Florida (Merritt Island Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 20, 2009 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Merritt Island, Florida · Merritt Island Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA32 301T · all PA32s on the register
- Registration
- N81912 · registry record · serial 32-8124027
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was performing takeoffs and landings on runway 29 to maintain her currency. During the third landing, the airplane departed the right side of the 75-foot-wide runway. The pilot reported that the rudder pedals were mushy after touchdown, during landing rollout, and that the airplane did not respond to her inputs to the left rudder pedal. However, the left rudder controls and nosewheel steering were operational when the pilot commanded the airplane to turn hard left to return to the runway pavement. Impact with the runway edge collapsed the nose gear. The reported winds at the time of the accident were from 040 degrees at 10 knots. Examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the airplane received substantial damage to the nose gear, firewall, propeller, and fuselage. No preexisting mechanical deficiencies were identified with the airplane's steering, brakes or flight controls. On a previous flight in the same airplane three months prior to the accident, the pilot reported that the "nose wheel steering seemed squirrely as the airplane veered to the right and rudder pedal inputs were mushy." After that flight, maintenance on the airplane included replacing the left brake pads and tightening the nuts securing the nosewheel. Other pilots who recently flew the accident airplane reported nothing unusual with the nosewheel steering, but that the airplane was a "handful" during landings.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 464 hours in all; 364 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 405 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 20, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,907 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 8, 2008; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming TIO540 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Servant Air Ministries, Inc
The flight
- Departed from: COI Merritt Island FL at 3:00 pm
- Destination: COI Merritt Island FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 3,601 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 040° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,400 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:55 pm from COF, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.