Piper PA-28-180 accident near Lake Wales, Florida, April 23, 2011
On April 23, 2011 at about 7:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N57WV, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Lake Wales, Florida (Chalet Suzanne Air Strip airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were 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
- April 23, 2011 · about 7:15 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Wales, Florida · Chalet Suzanne Air Strip · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N57WV · no longer on the register · serial 28-4648
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that during the landing roll the airplane encountered a gust of wind and veered off the left side of the turf runway. After the pilot regained control, he attempted to avoid a ditch by applying right rudder. He was unsuccessful in correcting the airplane's alignment and the left main landing gear impacted the ditch, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing spar. The pilot reported there were no preexisting mechanical anomalies with the airplane.
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
- 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 › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 705 hours in all; 695 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 606 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,082 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-A4A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FPR Fort Pierce FL at 6:30 pm
- Destination: X25 Lake Wales FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,313 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 86°F (30°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 7:15 pm from BOW, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N57WV the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.