Piper PA-28 accident near Okeechobee, Florida, July 17, 2004
On July 17, 2004 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28, registered N315PA, was substantially damaged in an accident near Okeechobee, Florida (Okeechobee County 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Student pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane during landing roll, resulting in the airplane departing the runway and impacting a fence incurring substantial damage to the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 17, 2004 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Okeechobee, Florida · Okeechobee County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28 · all PA-28s on the register
- Registration
- N315PA · registry record · serial 28-43510
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot was permitted to perform his first solo landing by his certified flight instructor (CFI). The landing was under control until the nose wheel touched the runway and the airplane suddenly swerved to the left. He attempted to correct by applying right rudder; however, it was ineffective. He retracted the flaps in an effort to transfer weight to the wheels. By this time the airplane had departed from the left side of the runway onto the grass and shortly after impacted with a fence. The student pilot's CFI stated he did not witness the airplane land, but did examine the markings on the runway and grass. To the CFI the student pilot landed between the first 600 to 700 feet of the runway. The markings were consistent with the indication of the left main wheel off the ground while the right main and the nose wheel stayed on the ground traveling in a left direction. The tracks in the grass infer to the airplane's left wing hit the fence first which caused the airplane to veer left, which led to the nose of the airplane and right wing to hit the fence. The CFI asked the student pilot if he applied any brakes, he said "no". The student pilot did not report mechanical failures or malfunctions to the airplane or any of its systems prior to 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
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 36 hours in all; 36 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 2,558 lb
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Pam Am International Flight Academy
The flight
- Departed from: KFPR Ft. Pierce FL
- Destination: KOBE Okeechobee FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 5,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 9 knots, gusting 16
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,800 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.96 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KFPR, 29 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.
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 MIA04CA106.