Piper PA 32-300 accident near Pompano Beach, Florida, March 1, 2018
On March 1, 2018 at about 3:51 pm local time, a 1973 Piper PA 32-300, registered N54476, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Pompano Beach, Florida (Pompano Beach Airpark 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during an aborted landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall, loss of control, and impact with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s failure to maintain a proper approach and landing speed during a precautionary landing following a loss of manifold pressure for reasons that could not be determined.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 1, 2018 · about 3:51 pm local time
- Place
- Pompano Beach, Florida · Pompano Beach Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 32-300 300, built 1973 · all PA 32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N54476 · no longer on the register · serial 32-7440055
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, shortly after takeoff while climbing through 800 ft mean sea level (msl), the engine manifold pressure began to drop, and the engine “sounded irregular.” The pilot initiated a return to the airport and requested to land. The pilot and pilot-rated passenger reported that the engine did not respond when the throttle was reduced during the landing approach. The airplane continued toward the runway at high speed and touched down within the last third of the runway surface, where it bounced several times. The pilot first pulled the mixture control to idle/cut off, but when the engine did not respond, richened the mixture, applied full throttle, and initiated an aborted landing. The airplane became airborne, entered a right bank, and began to descend before impacting the ramp near a hangar, resulting in substantial damage. The wind conditions at the time of the accident were consistent with a quartering tailwind of about 8 knots for the landing runway. Examination of the engine revealed no anomalies, and the reasons for the initial loss of manifold pressure could not be determined based on the available information. However, the circumstances of the accident are consistent with the pilot’s exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack after the airplane became airborne, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall, loss of control, and impact with the ramp.
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
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (aborted after touchdown)
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Effect on equipment
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › (general) › (general) › Unknown/Not determined
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 375 hours in all; 11.9 in this make and model; 18.2 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot-Rated Passenger
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 12, 2018; 47 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming TI0-540 KI85 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PMP Pampano Beach FL at 3:30 pm
- Destination: MYAM Marsh Harbour OF
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 28, 3,502 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 2,600 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from PMP
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on November 2, 2021. 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 Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspectors Report Including Compiled Statements | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Police Statement with Witness and ATC Accounts_excerpt | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Pilot Flight Hours Email to FAA | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Security Camera Footage of Accident Prior to Ground Impact | AVI file | Download |
| 6 | Security Camera Footage of Accident_impact | AVI file | Download |
| 7 | Memo for Record - Lost Data Card | PDF, 1 page | 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.