Piper PA28 accident near Fort Myers, Florida, June 24, 2017
On June 24, 2017 at about 11:48 am local time, a 1999 Piper PA28, registered N199PA, was destroyed in an accident during initial climb near Fort Myers, Florida (Page Field). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A partial loss of engine power during initial climb for reasons that could not be determined because extensive fire damage precluded thorough examination of the engine and its associated systems.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 24, 2017 · about 11:48 am local time
- Place
- Fort Myers, Florida · Page Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 181, built 1999 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N199PA · no longer on the register · serial 2843218
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot and passenger were departing on a cross-country flight. Shortly after takeoff, the engine experienced a partial loss of power and the airplane would not climb. The pilot chose to perform a forced landing to a road, during which the airplane impacted a building, then the ground; a postimpact fire ensued. The airplane was operated by a flying club. On two separate occasions before the accident, two different pilots experienced a loss of engine power in the accident airplane. About 1 month before the accident, a pilot experienced a partial loss of engine power shortly after takeoff; he subsequently landed the airplane on the remaining runway. Following that incident, a maintenance inspection revealed no anomalies. Maintenance personnel flushed both right and left fuel tanks, installed new fuel cap seals, drained the carburetor fuel bowl, cleaned and inspected the fuel filter, and flushed the fuel lines. A subsequent test run of the engine revealed no anomalies. Another pilot reported that, about 2 weeks before the accident, while in cruise flight at 8,000 ft, the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot was able to restart the engine at an altitude of 3,000 ft and uneventfully performed a precautionary landing. A subsequent maintenance inspection did not reveal any anomalies. Postaccident examination of the engine did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions. Continuity of the crankshaft and camshaft were observed during manual rotation of the engine and the interiors of each cylinder revealed no anomalies. However, postimpact fire damage precluded a thorough examination of the ignition, fuel, and induction systems, and the reason for the partial loss of engine power could not be determined based on the available information.
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 initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during initial climb
The NTSB's findings
- cause Not determined › Not determined › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 555 hours in all; 158 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 509 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 115 hours in all; 9,999 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,847.1 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 20, 2017; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 SER (piston); 1,852 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: FMY Fort Myers FL at 11:45 am
- Destination: X35 Dunnellon FL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 13, 4,912 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 100° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 79°F (26°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 11:53 am from FMY, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
9 documents, released by the NTSB on April 30, 2018. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record - Interview, Pilot | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Interview Summaries | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Video File | video | View Download |
| 5 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Investigative Photos | PDF, 4 pages | View Download |
| 7 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 9 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 15 pages | 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.