Piper PA28 accident near Vero Beach, Florida, March 15, 2011
On March 15, 2011 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Piper PA28, registered N9212E, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Vero Beach, Florida (Vero Beach Municipal airport). It was an instructional 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 student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing rollout.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 15, 2011 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Vero Beach, Florida · Vero Beach Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 161 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N9212E · no longer on the register · serial 2841017
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot stated that he was conducting his second solo flight. After performing maneuvers in the practice area, he returned to the airport to conduct takeoffs and landings. After the second landing, he tried to expedite exiting the runway and attempted to depress the brakes fully. The airplane turned to the right, travelled into a grassy area on the right side of the runway, and impacted a taxiway sign. It sustained substantial damage to the left wing. A postaccident examination by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed no evidence of mechanical malfunctions or anomalies.
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
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) 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 › Student pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 34 hours in all; 34 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 2 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,085 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, March 10, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Flightsafety International
The flight
- Departed from: VRB Vero Beach FL at 4:00 pm
- Destination: VRB Vero Beach FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11L, 3,504 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,900 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.27 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from VRB
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.