Piper PA28 accident near Miami, Florida, October 26, 2018
On October 26, 2018 at about 3:00 pm local time, a 1972 Piper PA28, registered N15888, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Miami, Florida (Miami Executive 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's improper landing flare, which resulted in a hard landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 26, 2018 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Miami, Florida · Miami Executive · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 140, built 1972 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N15888 · registry record · serial 28-7325189
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that, during a solo cross-country flight, while landing with a crosswind, the airplane bounced and landed hard. He added that the propeller struck the ground, the airplane "tilted” left, and the left wing then struck the ground. The airplane came to rest in the grass off the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the engine mount. The student reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The airport’s automated weather observation system reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 240° at 8 knots. The airplane landed on runway 27R, which resulted in a 4-knot crosswind.
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
- Hard landing during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
- Runway excursion during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 115.6 hours in all; 114.4 in this make and model; 9.1 in the last 90 days; 7.5 in the last 30 days; 8 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,025.2 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 3, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E3D (piston); 4,217 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OBE Okeechobee FL at 1:43 pm
- Destination: TMB Miami FL
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 27R, 5,003 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 29.88 inHg
- Observation at 2:53 pm from KTMB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number GAA19CA040.