Piper PA-28-161 accident near Fort Pierce, Florida, March 16, 2021
On March 16, 2021 at about 2:40 pm local time, a 2000 Piper PA-28-161, registered N562PU, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Fort Pierce, Florida (Treasure Coast Intl airport). It was an instructional 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 flight instructor’s delayed remedial action and failure to maintain directional control during a crosswind landing, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 16, 2021 · about 2:40 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Pierce, Florida · Treasure Coast Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161, built 2000 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N562PU · registry record · serial 2842104
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was flying with the flight instructor to practice unassisted landings for the first time. The flight instructor stated that due to the gusting right crosswind, the approaches were bumpy, and the airspeed fluctuated. During the third landing of the flight, on the final approach, the airplane began to drift to the right of the runway centerline. The airplane’s nose veered right when the student pilot flared and although the flight instructor attempted to recover, the airplane had insufficient airspeed and sank toward the runway. Upon landing, the airplane travelled to the right, departed the runway, and impacted runway signage. The right main landing gear assembly separated from the airplane upon impact with runway signage, and the airplane pivoted on the right wing before coming to rest in the grass. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the fuselage sustained substantial damage. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation and that she should have instructed the student to perform a go-around procedure when the approach became unstable. The recorded wind at the time of the accident was a direct right crosswind at 8 knots and did not reference gusting.
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 landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Instructor/check pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
Pilot
- 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: 594 hours in all; 470 in this make and model; 88 in the last 90 days; 27 in the last 30 days; 512 as pilot in command; 282 on instruments
- Last flight review: October 15, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 18 hours in all; 18 in this make and model; 18 in the last 90 days; 12 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,641.5 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, March 4, 2021; 13.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,440 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O320-D3G (piston); 9,542 hours total
- Operator: Flightsafety International INC
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 10L/, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 am from FPR
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on July 30, 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/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Flight Instructor's Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Chief Flight Instructor's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Area Weather Reports | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo Array | PDF, 7 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.