Piper PA-28RT-201 accident near Lutz, Florida, February 24, 2013
On February 24, 2013 at about 1:14 pm local time, a Piper PA-28RT-201, registered N2895U, was destroyed in an accident during initial climb near Lutz, Florida (Tampa North Aero Park airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The noninstrument-rated pilot’s decision to attempt a visual flight rules flight in instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in spatial disorientation and a loss of aircraft control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of instrument experience.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 24, 2013 · about 1:14 pm local time
- Place
- Lutz, Florida · Tampa North Aero Park · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28RT-201 · all PA-28RT-201s on the register
- Registration
- N2895U · no longer on the register · serial 28R-7918207
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot had recently purchased the airplane, and did not possess an instrument rating. Additionally, there was no record of the pilot obtaining a weather briefing from flight service or direct user access terminal before departing on a long cross-country flight; the ceiling at the departure airport ranged from 400 feet to 600 feet overcast. The wreckage was located the following day about 3 miles from the departure airport. Radar data revealed that the airplane flew for about 2 minutes after takeoff, with varying headings and altitudes, before beginning a left descending turn near the accident site. The majority of wreckage had been consumed by a postcrash fire and examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions. Given the low-visibility conditions, the pilot's lack of an instrument rating and instrument proficiency, and the radar data showing varying altitudes and headings shortly after takeoff, it is likely that the pilot experienced spatial disorientation and a subsequent loss of control. Toxicological testing of the pilot revealed therapeutic levels of a prescription pain medication (Hydrocodone). The investigation could not determine if the pain medication was impairing at the time. Further, the circumstances of the accident are more consistent with spatial disorientation rather than impairment.
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
- VFR encounter with IMC during initial climb defining event
- Loss of control in flight during initial climb
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Weather planning › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Perception/orientation/illusion › Spatial disorientation › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Low ceiling › Not specified
- factor Personnel issues › Experience/knowledge › Experience/qualifications › Total instrument experience › Pilot
- Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › Prescription medication › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 125 hours in all; 20 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,049 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 9, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1C6 (piston); 3,049 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: X39 Lutz FL at 1:30 pm
- Destination: Crossville TN
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 600 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from BKV, 13 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
13 documents, released by the NTSB on January 16, 2015. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Interview Summary | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Wreckage Plots | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Excerpts from Maintenance Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Weather Reports | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Medical Factual Report | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 7 | radar Plot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 15 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Photo 1- Main Wreckage | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 11 | Photo 2 – Engine | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 12 | Photo 3 – Propeller Blade | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 13 | Photo 4 – Main Wreckage Recovered | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.