Piper PA-44-180T accident near Loxahatchee, Florida, May 11, 2013
On May 11, 2013 at about 4:05 pm local time, a Piper PA-44-180T, registered N8390K, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Loxahatchee, Florida. It was a personal 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
An in-flight collision with a bird.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 11, 2013 · about 4:05 pm local time
- Place
- Loxahatchee, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-44-180T · all PA-44-180Ts on the register
- Registration
- N8390K · registry record · serial 44-8107061
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, while at an altitude of 1,700 feet mean sea level, a large bird struck the right horizontal stabilizer, which resulted in substantial damage. The pilot declared an emergency, diverted, and landed the airplane without further incident.
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
- Birdstrike during enroute (cruise) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Effect on equipment
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 16,000 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 15,000 as pilot in command; 5,000 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 20, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: foreign licence, private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,000 hours in all; 15 in this make and model
- Last flight review: April 6, 2013
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,933 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 25, 2013
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming TO-360SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming LTO-360SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: 424 Aviation Inc
The flight
- Departed from: TMB Miami FL at 2:25 pm
- Destination: X58 Indiantown FL
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 160° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,400 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 3:51 pm from BCT
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.
Other NTSB records under N8390K 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.