Piper PA-28-180 accident near Bunnell, Florida, March 29, 2006
On March 29, 2006 at about 1:40 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N2182T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bunnell, Florida (Flagler County 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 perform a preflight inspection of the airplane resulting in departure with an inadequate oil supply, subsequent engine failure due to oil starvation, and damage to the airplane during a forced landing. Contributing to the accident was the improper installation of the engine-driven vacuum pump by a mechanic.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 29, 2006 · about 1:40 pm local time
- Place
- Bunnell, Florida · Flagler County
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N2182T · registry record · serial 28-7205037
- 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 earlier that morning he flew to the Flagler County Airport, landed, and secured the engine. He then elected to return to the departure airport. He did not perform a preflight inspection of the airplane, and after starting the engine he taxied to and departed from runway 29. During the initial climb at approximately 1,500 feet he noted smoke coming from the engine compartment and the engine experienced a partial loss of power. He turned to return to the airport and the engine seized. He performed a forced landing on a dirt road and during the landing roll ran off the road and collided with a tree. Post accident examination of the engine by an FAA airworthiness inspector revealed an oil film inside the engine cowling and also on the right side of the fuselage from the engine cowling to midspan of the right wing. Additionally, damage to one of the cylinders was noted. The engine driven vacuum pump was found to have not been installed correctly with incorrect gasket material which was baffle gasket material and that the nuts that hold and seal the vacuum pump on were not torqued to proper specs and/or were missing all together and that there was oil on the rubber gaskets. The owner/pilot admitted to having worked along side with the IA to install the engine driven vacuum pump. The owner/pilot also stated that after they were finished installing the pump, he asked the IA if they had installed it correctly because it was sticking out more then he was used to. The IA reported having supervised the owner/pilot who did the work, then checked what he had done and signed it off. The engine had only 8 hours and was within a month of being overhauled 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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,500 hours in all; 2,000 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 2,450 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,812.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 1, 2006; 7.7 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X47 Bunnell FL at 1:35 pm
- Destination: KOMN Ormond Beach FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 4,999 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.28 inHg
- Observation at 12:53 pm from KDAB, 19 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.
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.