Piper PA28 accident near Miami, Florida, January 19, 2021
On January 19, 2021 at about 5:30 pm local time, a 1972 Piper PA28, registered N4530T, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Miami, Florida (Dade-Collier Training And Tran airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane during takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain. Also causal was the flight instructor’s inadequate remedial action.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 19, 2021 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Miami, Florida · Dade-Collier Training And Tran · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 140, built 1972 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N4530T · registry record · serial 287225181
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was practicing a short-field takeoff in gusty crosswind conditions with a flight instructor onboard. During the takeoff attempt, the pilot pitched up excessively and the airplane encountered an aerodynamic stall. It then contacted the ground off the side of the runway, collapsing the nose landing gear and substantially damaging the engine mount. The flight instructor reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation, nor did the pilot report any.
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 control on ground during takeoff defining event
- Runway excursion during takeoff
- Collision during takeoff/land during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Instructor/check pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,510 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 25 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: July 1, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,736 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 11, 2020; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 4,736 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HWO Miami FL at 5:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09, 10,499 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.28 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from TMB, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | 1 | ||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on July 21, 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 | Memorandum for Record A�� Telephone Interview, Pilot/cfi | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector's Statement | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 7 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Investigative Photos | 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.