Piper Aircraft INC PA-28-181 accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, December 16, 2025
On December 16, 2025 at about 10:00 pm local time, a 2013 Piper Aircraft INC PA-28-181, registered N472A, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Fort Lauderdale, Florida (Fort Lauderdale Exec 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 student pilot’s improper landing flare and the flight instructor’s inadequate remedial action, which resulted in a hard landing and subsequent nose landing gear collapse.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 16, 2025 · about 10:00 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida · Fort Lauderdale Exec · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper Aircraft INC PA-28-181, built 2013
- Registration
- N472A · no longer on the register · serial 2843744
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that the student pilot began the landing flare too high, then suddenly pitched the airplane up 10 to 15 degrees. The flight instructor took control of the airplane and added engine power but the airplane landed hard, bounced, and began to porpoise down the runway, during which the nose landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and engine mount. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operations.
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
- Abnormal runway contact during landing defining event
- Landing gear collapse during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Instructor/check pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Flight time: 16 hours in all; 16 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: airship
- Flight time: 396 hours in all; 341 in this make and model; 145 in the last 90 days; 55 in the last 30 days; 315 as pilot in command; 113 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 7, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,988.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 24, 2025; 29 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 113 hours total
- Operator: Archer Aircraft LLC
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 09/2, 6,002 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 14 knots, gusting 21
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 5,000 ft; scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 5:00 pm from FLL
Weather report (METAR): METAR KFLL 162153Z 06014G21KT 10SM SCT035 BKN050 22/14 A3012 RMK AO2 SLP198 T02220144 $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Photographs from the investigation 3 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – Front Left of Airplane
Photograph 2 – Engine Mount Damage
Photograph 3 – Left Wing Spar DamageThe 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
2 documents, released by the NTSB on May 21, 2026. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 4 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.