Piper PA-23-250 accident near West Palm Beach, Florida, March 25, 2005
On March 25, 2005 at about 5:20 pm local time, a Piper PA-23-250, registered N11EG, was substantially damaged in an accident near West Palm Beach, Florida (Palm Beach International airport). It was a personal 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
The failure of the pilot to maintain proper alignment with the runway, his failure to perform a go around after recognizing the aircraft was not properly aligned for landing, and his intentionally landing on a taxiway which resulted in a landing overrun and subsequent nose landing gear collapse following on ground collision with a ditch.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 25, 2005 · about 5:20 pm local time
- Place
- West Palm Beach, Florida · Palm Beach International · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-250 · all PA-23-250s on the register
- Registration
- N11EG · no longer on the register · serial 27-76
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that the flight proceeded to the destination airport and was cleared to land on runway 9R. A strong crosswind "caused me to come in slightly higher and faster-I decided to do a go around and did so with no problem...." The tower controller advised him to enter a downwind for runway 9R again, but never gave wind speed or direction. He reentered the traffic pattern for runway 9R, turned onto final approach, where a "tremendous" crosswind was blowing then stopped abruptly allowing the plane to fly south of the runway. He made the decision to land rather than try to correct for the drift because the airspeed was too slow. The airplane landed further on the taxiway then he wanted, and he realized there was insufficient taxiway remaining to stop the airplane. He again made the decision to remain on the ground and with obstructions ahead, veered the aircraft to the left. While on the ground, the airplane encountered a 5 foot drop-off which caused the nose gear to collapse and subsequent propeller contact. The airplane slid approximately 10 to 15 feet and came to rest upright. He further stated there was no mechanical malfunction or failure. National Transportation Safety Board review of a voice tape from the Palm Beach International Airport air traffic control tower revealed the pilot was provided the wind direction and velocity (160 degrees at 10 knots) when the flight was cleared to land for the first approach. Prior to the second approach, the controller advised the pilot that the wind was from 170 degrees at 11 knots. According to the FAA inspector who examined the accident site, the airplane landed on a closed taxiway on the centerline, traveled off the taxiway onto grass, across another taxiway, and down a small depression where the nose landing gear dug-in causing it to collapse.
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: 1,310 hours in all; 1,161 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MYAT Treasure Cay
- Destination: KPBI West Palm Beach FL
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 9R
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.