Piper PA-28R-201 accident near Fort Pierce, Florida, December 20, 2000
On December 20, 2000 at about 3:25 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-201, registered N9185P, suffered minor damage in an accident near Fort Pierce, Florida (St. Lucie County Int'L airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper approach for landing while making a landing following a reported momentary partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons and his decision to make a go-around from the approach resulting in a landing in a field and collapse of the nose landing gear following a reported total loss of engine power for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 20, 2000 · about 3:25 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Pierce, Florida · St. Lucie County Int'L · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-201 · all PA-28R-201s on the register
- Registration
- N9185P · no longer on the register · serial 28R7837032
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that when he turned off the electric fuel boost pump after takeoff, the engine lost about 300 rpm. He turned the electric pump back on and the engine regained power. While turning on final approach for landing he lined up with the wrong runway and made a go-around. During the go-around, the engine popped and went to idle power. He was unable to return to the airport and landed in a field. During landing rollout, the nose landing gear collapsed and he hit his head when the shoulder harness did not lock. The airplane received minor damage in the accident and the pilot was hospitalized for a head injury. Postcrash running of the engine showed no evidence of failure or malfunction with the electric boost pump on or off. The pilot's shoulder harness was found stowed after the accident and it locked normally during pull tests. The pilot was under a court order dated June 4, 1998, to not operate aircraft, and was scheduled to surrender to authorities in the State of Connecticut to begin serving a prison sentence on the day of the accident.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,100 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,342 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 2, 2000; 9 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1C6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FPR at 3:18 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 4,756 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,900 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 102°F (39°C), dew point 81°F (27°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from FPR, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.