Piper PA32RT accident near Coral Springs, Florida, April 30, 2017
On April 30, 2017 at about 5:30 pm local time, a 1978 Piper PA32RT, registered N31678, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute (cruise) near Coral Springs, Florida. 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The in-flight disconnection of the fuel injection servo throttle linkage, which resulted in a loss of engine power.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 30, 2017 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Coral Springs, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA32RT 300, built 1978 · all PA32RTs on the register
- Registration
- N31678 · registry record · serial 32R-7885119
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While the airplane was in cruise flight, the airline transport pilot noticed a drop in manifold pressure; he advanced the throttle to regain power. After several unsuccessful attempts to regain full power, he made a forced landing and the airplane collided with a ditch, which resulted in damage to the right wing spar. Postaccident examination of the throttle body fuel injection servo revealed the throttle cable linkage was loose at the attachment point of the throttle body fuel injection servo. Further examination revealed the throttle cable linkage had slipped because the gear teeth did not make full contact locking together. Some of the gear teeth on the throttle linkage and on the throttle body servo were worn with flat spots. It is likely that this condition ultimately resulted in the pilot's inability to control the power setting of the engine.
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
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during enroute (cruise)
- Loss of engine power (partial) during enroute (cruise) defining event
- Loss of engine power (partial) during emergency descent
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine controls › Mixture control › Malfunction
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven terrain › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 18,737 hours in all; 1,552 in this make and model; 130 in the last 90 days; 28 in the last 30 days; 18,501 as pilot in command; 5,567 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 261 hours in all; 109 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 29 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,794.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 1, 2016; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540KIG5D (piston); 3,665 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GIF Winter Haven FL at 4:00 pm
- Destination: FXE Fort Lauderdale FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 21 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 2,400 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Observation at 5:33 pm from FXE, 10 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
4 documents, released by the NTSB on November 29, 2019. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum of Record - FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Maintenance Logbook Excerpts | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array | PDF, 3 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.