Piper PA-32-301T accident near Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, February 7, 2024
On February 7, 2024 at about 5:26 pm local time, a 1980 Piper PA-32-301T, registered N484AP, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Palm Beach Gardens, Florida (North Palm Beach County Genera airport). It was a personal 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 of the airplane during the landing roll in a gusting crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 7, 2024 · about 5:26 pm local time
- Place
- Palm Beach Gardens, Florida · North Palm Beach County Genera · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-301T, built 1980 · all PA-32-301Ts on the register
- Registration
- N484AP · registry record · serial 32-8124003
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the airplane reported that he was intending to perform a touch and go landing at his home airport. Weather reports around the time of the accident indicated a 13 knot direct crosswind with wind gusts up to 21 knots. The pilot stated that immediately after the left main landing gear touched the runway, the airplane started to drift to the left. The airplane exited the runway into the grass, the nose landing gear collapsed, and the left main landing gear separated from the airplane. The runway excursion resulted in the vertical stabilizer sustaining substantial damage. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with 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 (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
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
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Response/compensation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 560 hours in all; 125 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 435 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 8, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,426 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 10, 2023; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-S1AD (piston); 3,426 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: F45 North Palm Beach FL at 5:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09R, 4,300 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 13 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.08 inHg
- Observation at 12:10 pm from F45
Weather report (METAR): METAR KF45 071710Z AUTO 36013G21KT 10SM CLR 22/10 A3008 RMK AO2 TSNO=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 5 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – Airplane at the accident site
Photograph 2 – Airplane at accident site
Photograph 3 – Photo of the airplane’s underside
Photograph 4 – Damage to the vertical stabilizer
Photograph 5 – Damage to the vertical stabilizerThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on April 12, 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Memorandum for Record A�� Email, Pilot | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 6 pages · our copy | 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.