Piper PA-28-161 accident near Lake Placid, Florida, March 5, 2003
On March 5, 2003 at about 7:20 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N81549, was substantially damaged in an accident near Lake Placid, Florida (Lake Persimmon 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 pilot-in-command's failure to maintain airspeed during climb, which resulted in the airplane stalling, and impacting with a house.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 5, 2003 · about 7:20 pm local time
- Place
- Lake Placid, Florida · Lake Persimmon · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N81549 · no longer on the register · serial 28-8016269
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the certified flight instructor (CFI), they planned to perform a short field takeoff, to the west, from the 2,000-foot private grass strip. The student was on the controls, for the takeoff, and one notch of flaps was used. The main gear lifted off the ground, the airplane "achieved ground effect," but would not climb. The airplane was nose high and the student then passed the controls to the CFI. The CFI lowered the nose, and waited for the airspeed to attain 63 KIAS. At 63 KIAS, he applied back pressure on the yoke to start a climb. As he applied back pressure on the yoke the airplane's airspeed "reduced rapidly." The CFI then applied forward pressure on the yoke, to once again regain an airspeed of 63 KIAS, and tried to climb, but said he had the same "...results, the airspeed dissipated rapidly...there seemed to be some sort of thrust or power shortage causing the airplane not to climb." The student pilot observed temperature and pressure gauge in "green...tachometer at 2600 RPM." The airplane cleared a 3-foot fence, and impacted with a house at the end of the runway. The instructor reported no mechanical malfunction. A static test run was performed on the engine and no discrepancies were noted.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 377 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 119 in the last 90 days; 33 in the last 30 days; 331 as pilot in command; 155 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 1, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 27 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,525.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 26, 2003; 8 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,335 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: Lake Placid FL at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 2,000 ft by 1,000 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 6,000 ft; scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
- Observation at 6:54 pm from KBOW, 20 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.