Piper PA-28R-201T accident near Cedar Key, Florida, March 4, 2003
On March 4, 2003, a Piper PA-28R-201T, registered N6369C, was destroyed in an accident near Cedar Key, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate in-flight planning/decision by his continued VFR flight into instrument meteorological condition after receiving an in-flight weather advisory. Also causal was his failure to maintain aircraft control, which resulted in flight that exceeded the design limits of the aircraft and resulted in an in-flight breakup. Contributing factors were the pilot's overconfidence in his personal ability, and the failure of the National Weather Service to issue an Airmet to identify IFR conditions for the area of the accident.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 4, 2003
- Place
- Cedar Key, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-201T · all PA-28R-201Ts on the register
- Registration
- N6369C · no longer on the register · serial 28R-7803222
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight experienced an in-flight breakup during a VFR flight into instrument meteorological conditions. The pilot did not obtain a preflight weather briefing before departure but he did obtain three in-flight weather briefings from the Miami Automated Flight Service Station. During one of the briefings he was provided information about the location of a front that existed along the intended route of flight. About 32 minutes before the accident, the non-instrument rated pilot advised the controller that he was flying in the clouds and was trying to maintain VFR. The pilot was asked if he wanted to obtain an IFR clearance and asked for assistance to avoid the clouds several times; he was advised what radar could and could not depict. About 1 minute before the accident, the controller advised the pilot that he was depicting a heavy weather echo at his twelve o'clock position and 2.5 miles. The pilot responded by stating that he needed assistance. The controller provided a heading for the pilot to fly but the pilot did not acknowledge that transmission. The controller then advised on the frequency for the pilot not to turn that tight and to level the wings. That transmission was also not acknowledged by the pilot. Recorded radar data shows the aircraft descended from 12,600 feet to 8,800 feet MSL, before the flight path entered an area of depicted weather echoes. The flight subsequently went into a left descending turn, reaching a descent rate in excess of 5000 feet per minute. Post-accident examination of the aircraft did not reveal evidence of mechanical malfunction. Review of the pilot's logbook revealed he logged 15 hours actual instrument flight time on 34 flights as pilot-in-command (PIC); the entries for these flights did not contain a signature by a certified flight instructor or safety pilot. He also logged actual instrument flight time as PIC before receiving his private pilot certificate. In the area and time of the accident, no SIGMET's, Convective SIGMET's, or Center Weather Advisories were in effect. The pilot's medical was expired at the time 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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 682 hours in all; 616 in this make and model; 646 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Continental TSIO-360-FB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KEYW Key West FL at 10:33 pm
- Destination: KTLH Talllahassee FL
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 100° at 3 knots
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.