Piper PA-28R-180 accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, July 23, 2015
On July 23, 2015 at about 8:05 pm local time, a 1968 Piper PA-28R-180, registered N4631J, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering near Fort Lauderdale, Florida (Fort Lauderdale Executive 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 undetected fatigue cracks in the engine and nose landing gear (NLG) strut mount assembly, which prevented the proper alignment of the NLG after it was extended and the pilots from being able to maintain directional control after touchdown.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 23, 2015 · about 8:05 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida · Fort Lauderdale Executive · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-180, built 1968 · all PA-28R-180s on the register
- Registration
- N4631J · registry record · serial 28R-30518
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and pilot-rated passenger were conducting an instructional flight. The flight instructor reported that, after conducting some airwork, he attempted to extend the landing gear as part of the prelanding checklist, but he did not receive a down-and-locked indication for the nose landing gear (NLG). He performed the emergency gear extension procedure twice, and, during the second attempt, the NLG moved to the down-and-locked position, but a left yaw was present, and the left rudder pedal had moved fully forward, which required an abnormal amount of right rudder input. The flight instructor performed a low pass over the runway, and company personnel informed him that the NLG appeared to be deflected left. He returned to the airport and performed a soft-field landing and secured the engine after touchdown. When the NLG contacted the runway, the airplane veered left off the runway and then came to rest upright. Postaccident examination of the engine and NLG strut mount assembly revealed fatigue fractures on both sides of the mount near the NLG pivot, which prevented the proper alignment of the NLG after it was extended and the pilots from being able to maintain directional control of the airplane after landing. The complete maintenance records were not available; therefore, the time on the engine and NLG mount assembly could not be determined. Although the available maintenance records did reveal that the engine and NLG strut mount assembly had been inspected as part of the annual inspection performed about 15 hours before the accident flight, the location of the fatigue cracks and color of the mount assembly likely would have made detecting the preexisting cracks difficult.
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
- Aircraft maintenance event during prior to flight
- Sys/Comp malf/fail (non-power) during maneuvering defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Runway excursion during landing (flare/touchdown)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Power plant › Mounts › Fatigue/wear/corrosion
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Power plant › Mounts › Failure
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Attain/maintain not possible
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 670 hours in all; 8 in this make and model; 99 in the last 90 days; 45 in the last 30 days; 604 as pilot in command; 394 on instruments
- Last flight review: September 2, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 250 hours in all; 5 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 150 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 3, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,539.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 8, 2015; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-B1E (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Skyeagle Aviation Academy
The flight
- Departed from: FXE Fort Lauderdale FL at 5:30 pm
- Destination: FXE Fort Lauderdale FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 4,000 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 13 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 8:21 pm from FXE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on May 10, 2016. 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 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 12 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | NTSB Materials Laboratory Factual Report | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Excerpts from Airframe Logbook Entry for Overhaul Engine and Annual Inspection Entries | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Excerpt from Engine Logbook for Last 100-HOUR Inspection | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Statement from Operator Concerning Engine Mount | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15, and NTSB Evidence Control Form | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N4631J 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.