Piper PA28R accident near Vero Beach, Florida, June 7, 2024
On June 7, 2024 at about 1:00 pm local time, a 2000 Piper PA28R, registered N287ND, was substantially damaged in an accident during prior to flight near Vero Beach, Florida (Vero Beach Regional 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
Excessive side loading of the vertical stabilizer.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 7, 2024 · about 1:00 pm local time
- Place
- Vero Beach, Florida · Vero Beach Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28R 201, built 2000 · all PA28Rs on the register
- Registration
- N287ND · registry record · serial 2844036
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During a preflight inspection of a flight school airplane, the flight instructor noticed a missing rivet on the left side of the vertical stabilizer. He also noticed that the skin of the vertical stabilizer was bent outwards. The flight instructor walked around to the right side of the airplane and noticed that the same rivet was missing on that side, and the skin was also bent outwards. He called the maintenance department out to the airplane to look at the damage. They subsequently told him the airplane was not airworthy and to write it up as a discrepancy. The maintenance department immediately grounded all the other airplanes and inspected the vertical stabilizers for any damage. No other damage was noted on the remaining 49 airplanes of the flight school operator’s fleet. It could not be determined when the damage to the vertical stabilizer occurred, but the damage was likely the result of excessive side loading of the vertical stabilizer during flight.
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
- Aircraft structural failure during prior to flight defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Empennage structure › Vertical stabilizer › Capability exceeded
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,899 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, April 26, 2024; 44 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO360 SER A&C (piston); 6,667 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.91 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 am from FPR, 10 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KFPR 071253Z COR 29004KT 9SM FU CLR 28/23 A2991 RMK AO2 SLP127 T02830228
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Photographs from the investigation 4 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
INVESTIGATIVE PHOTOS Photograph 1 – Left side vertical stabilizer with missing rivet
INVESTIGATIVE PHOTOS Photograph 2 – Right side Vertical stabilizer with missing rivet
INVESTIGATIVE PHOTOS Photograph 3 – Aft mounting bracket, 17 fractured rivets
INVESTIGATIVE PHOTOS Photograph 4 – Vertical Stabilizer, note: fractured rivetsThe 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 July 18, 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 | Flight Instructor Written Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 5 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 4 | Fleet Inspection Report | 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.