Piper PA-28R-200 accident near New Smyrna, Florida, March 18, 2012
On March 18, 2012 at about 8:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-200, registered N15764, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near New Smyrna, Florida (Massey Ranch Airpark 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper flare, which resulted in a hard landing. Contributing to the accident was the flight instructor's inadequate remedial action.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 18, 2012 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- New Smyrna, Florida · Massey Ranch Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-200 · all PA-28R-200s on the register
- Registration
- N15764 · registry record · serial 28R-7335089
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a flight to prepare for his initial flight instructor check ride, the commercial pilot performed a 180-degree power-off approach and landing. During the landing, he flared the airplane about 10 feet above the runway. The airplane dropped and landed hard. After taking off again, the pilot attempted to raise the landing gear, but it would not retract completely, so he put the landing gear back down, performed another 180-degree power-off approach, landed, and then taxied to the ramp. After parking, he and the flight instructor who was sitting in the left seat noticed that they could not open the door to exit the airplane because the door handle was broken. After having someone open the door from the outside so that they could exit the airplane, they noticed that the airplane's right wing had been damaged during the hard landing. Postaccident examination revealed that the wing was substantially damaged. During a postaccident interview with the flight instructor, he stated that, during the flight, the commercial pilot was the "full manipulator of the controls" and that "I did not do anything."
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
- Hard landing during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 31,800 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model
- Last flight review: April 6, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 310 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 40 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 210 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 5, 2011
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,837 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 19, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X50 New Smyrna FL at 7:00 pm
- Destination: X50 New Smyrna FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,852 ft by 60 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 59°F (15°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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 ERA12CA242.