Piper PA-34-220T incident near Titusville, Florida, July 5, 2005
On July 5, 2005 at about 4:36 pm local time, a Piper PA-34-220T, registered N700VR, suffered minor damage in an incident near Titusville, Florida (Space Coast Regional 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 pilot's continued operation of the airplane with known intermittent deficiencies of the electric pitch trim switch, resulting in a mis-trim condition of the airplane (nose-up), and subsequent hard landing on the nose landing gear causing it to collapse. A factor in the accident was the failure of the electric pitch trim switch to return to the neutral position after being disengaged due to dirt/grime.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 2005 · about 4:36 pm local time
- Place
- Titusville, Florida · Space Coast Regional Airport · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-220T · all PA-34-220Ts on the register
- Registration
- N700VR · registry record · serial 3449086
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, the airplane touched down on the runway on all landing gears, bounced slightly, then touched down on the nose landing gear causing it to collapse. On short final approach when the airplane was approximately 10-15 feet above the runway, the pilot applied nose-up pitch trim to counter the nose-heavy tendency of the airplane but the pitch trim continued to operate in the nose-up direction despite his release of the pitch trim switch. He applied power and forward pressure on the control yoke. Postaccident examination of the electric pitch trim system revealed the rocker switches would intermittently stick in either the nose-up or nose-down position. Testing and disassembly of the pilot's electric pitch trim switch revealed the unit tested satisfactory electrically, but intermittent mechanical sticking in either the nose-up or nose-down direction was noted. Dirt/grime was noted near the rocker switch assembly. Examination of both rocker switches revealed the hole (pivot point) in 1 of the 2 was .001 less than the minimum specification. The pitch trim servo operationally tested satisfactory. Since purchase by the pilot approximately 2 months earlier, he accumulated approximately 20 hours and noted that during the last 2 or 3 flights, or a total of 8 or 9 times, the pitch trim continued in the direction of application when using the pitch trim switch on the pilot's control yoke. He corrected this by moving the control yoke opposite the direction of the travel of the trim, and also by moving the pilot's pitch trim switch opposite the initial application direction. Of the 8 or 9 times, the trim continued in the nose-down direction 6 times, and in the nose-up direction 2 or 3 times. He did not have a mechanic inspect the electric pitch trim system to determine the cause of the trim continuing in the direction of application, and on the day of the accident when the airplane was at an avionics shop to have work performed, he did mention to any personnel the issue related to the pitch trim.
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: commercial pilot, military
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,450 hours in all; 39 in this make and model; 42 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 6,174 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: May 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,501.8 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2005; 56.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,750 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental TSIO-360-RB1B (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental LTSIO-360-RB1 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: KVRB Vero Beach FL at 4:10 pm
- Destination: KTIX Titusville FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 090° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 4:36 pm from KTIX
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.