Piper PA28 accident near Milton, Florida, June 25, 2019
On June 25, 2019 at about 10:45 pm local time, a 1977 Piper PA28, registered N5697V, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Milton, Florida (Peter Prince Field). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor's intentional overapplication of rudder to avoid a ditch during landing with a tailwind, which resulted in a runway excursion and landing gear collapse.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 25, 2019 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- Milton, Florida · Peter Prince Field · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 161, built 1977 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N5697V · registry record · serial 28-7716203
- 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, while returning to the departure airport after an instructional flight, she noticed that the weather was deteriorating and decided that she would perform the landing. She added that she felt wind shear during the approach, and she flew the airplane about 5 to 10 knots faster than normal. During the landing, she "felt a strong push from behind that accelerated the [air]plane tremendously." She applied full brakes, but the airplane continued moving forward and exited the end of the runway. Concerned the airplane would impact a deep ditch, the instructor turned the airplane left. The airplane came to rest in grass, and the main landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left and right wings. The instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Other weather encounter during approach
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing
- Runway excursion during landing defining event
- Abrupt maneuver during landing
- Landing gear collapse during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Capability exceeded
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Empennage structure › Rudder › Capability exceeded
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Instructor/check pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven terrain › Contributed to outcome
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 620 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 250 in the last 90 days; 85 in the last 30 days; 520 as pilot in command; 250 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 15, 2019
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,170.4 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, May 1, 2019
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 2,200 hours total
- Operator: Trident Aircraft
The flight
- Departed from: 2R4 Milton FL at 9:45 pm
- Destination: 2R4 Milton FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,701 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; a few clouds at 1,900 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 pm from KNDZ, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on September 5, 2019. 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 | Accident Photos | PDF, 2 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.