Piper PA-28-180 accident near Winter Haven, Florida, July 22, 2023
On July 22, 2023 at about 11:37 am local time, a 1963 Piper PA-28-180, registered N7528W, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Winter Haven, Florida (Winter Haven Rgnl airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing, which resulted in a runway excursion and collision with a taxiway sign.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 22, 2023 · about 11:37 am local time
- Place
- Winter Haven, Florida · Winter Haven Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180, built 1963 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N7528W · registry record · serial 28-1449
- 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 on a solo cross-country flight. The pilot arrived at the destination airport, and after an uneventful landing, he planned to practice takeoffs and landings in the airport traffic pattern. While on short final approach during the next landing attempt, the pilot contemplated going around as the airplane was not aligned with the runway. He instead continued to approach and attempted to correct the misalignment. While crossing the runway threshold, the airplane was “a little high” and still not aligned along the runway centerline. The pilot reduced the engine power and continued his attempt to align the airplane with the runway using the rudder. The pilot then decided to go around just as the landing gear contacted the runway, adding engine power and pulling back the control yoke. The airplane then veered to the left and departed the runway surface as the pilot reduced the engine power back to idle to stop the go-around attempt. It subsequently collided with a taxiway sign and was substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were not preimpact mechanical malfunctions or the failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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 with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 29 hours in all; 29 in this make and model; 3 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,092 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 27, 2023
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A3A (piston); 2,472 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 05, 5,005 ft by 99 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 77°F (25°C)
- Altimeter: 29.97 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 am from KGIF
Weather report (METAR): KGIF 221253Z AUTO 21007KT 10SM CLR 28/25 A2997 RMK AO2 SLP144 T02830250
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on January 25, 2024. 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 | Memorandum for Record - Damage Asessment | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | 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.