Piper PA-46-350P accident near Apalachicola, Florida, January 1, 2015
On January 1, 2015 at about 9:30 pm local time, a 1988 Piper PA-46-350P, registered N657MC, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi near Apalachicola, Florida (Apalachicola Regional airport). 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate visual lookout while taxiing, which resulted in the airplane striking a pole.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 1, 2015 · about 9:30 pm local time
- Place
- Apalachicola, Florida · Apalachicola Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-46-350P, built 1988 · all PA-46-350Ps on the register
- Registration
- N657MC · registry record · serial 4622007
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After landing, the pilot taxied to the fixed base operator to park. As he approached the parking ramp, a lineman stood in front of a tie-down spot and raised both hands in the air signaling to the pilot where to park. The spot was next to a parked jet. The pilot said that while taxing to the parking spot he was concentrating on staying clear of the jet and did not see a light pole located at the edge of the ramp. The right wing struck the pole resulting in structural damage to the wing.
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
- Ground collision during taxi defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,633 hours in all; 1,545 in this make and model; 35 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 2,633 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 28, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 4,299 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming TI0-540 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PNS Pensacola FL at 7:30 pm
- Destination: AAF Apalachicola FL
- Flight plan: IFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 140° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 8:00 pm from AAF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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 ERA15CA093.