Piper PA28 accident near Okeechobee, Florida, April 18, 2016
On April 18, 2016 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 2001 Piper PA28, registered N151DC, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Okeechobee, Florida. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the No. 3 piston due to fatigue cracking, which resulted in a total loss of engine power and subsequent forced landing, during which the airplane impacted obstacles.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 18, 2016 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Okeechobee, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 161, built 2001 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N151DC · registry record · serial 2842138
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The operator reported that the pilot was conducting a cross-country, solo instructional flight. When the airplane was about 3,000 ft mean sea level, the engine suddenly started running roughly accompanied by “abnormal” noises. The pilot attempted to troubleshoot the problem by performing the “engine roughness” checklist to no avail. About 10 seconds after completing the checklist, the engine lost all power. The pilot then established the best glide speed, chose a private grass strip for a forced landing, and conducted the “engine power loss in flight” checklist without success. Once committed to landing, he conducted the “power off landing checklist.” After the airplane touched down about halfway down the grass strip it skidded and subsequently impacted farm equipment and other obstacles, and it then came to rest against a building. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and tail section, and the wings were sheared off. Examination of the engine revealed that there was a hole in the crankcase above the No. 2 cylinder, consistent with a catastrophic engine failure, and that the No. 3 piston had failed. Metallurgical examination of the No. 3 piston revealed that two fatigue cracks had emanated from the outer face of a lubricating hole, which resulted in the piston failing, ancillary damage to the cylinder and engine, and a subsequent total loss of engine power. The areas outside of the fatigue crack regions and fracture faces exhibited a rough texture and on-slant planes consistent with overstress separation. The reason for the initiation and propagation of the fatigue cracks could not be determined. Even though the engine was 200 hours past the manufacturer’s recommended time before overhaul limit, it could not be determined if that contributed to the fatigue cracking.
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
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine (reciprocating) › Recip engine power section › Failure
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Altitude › Attain/maintain not possible
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Ground vehicle › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 84 hours in all; 84 in this make and model; 43 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 26 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: March 21, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,577 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, April 15, 2016; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,447 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320 SERIES (piston); 10,393 hours total
- Operator: Flightsafety International INC
The flight
- Departed from: APF Naples FL at 6:25 pm
- Destination: VRB Vero Beach FL
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 9 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 7:35 pm from OBE, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 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.
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.