Piper PA-38 accident near Vero Beach, Florida, August 7, 1982
On August 7, 1982 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-38, registered N2406D, was substantially damaged in an accident near Vero Beach, Florida (New Hibiscus airport). It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 7, 1982 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Vero Beach, Florida · New Hibiscus · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-38 · all PA-38s on the register
- Registration
- N2406D · registry record · serial 38-79A0296
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT WAS ON AN INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT WHEN HE FLEW TO ANDTHER AIRPORT TO PRACTICE GRASS FIELD LANDINGS. ACCORDING TO THE 1450 EDT WEATHER REPORT FROM VERO BEACH, THE WIND WAS FROM 110 DEGREES AT 10 KTS AND THE TEMPERATURE WAS 90 DEGREES. DURING A TOUCH-AND-GO LANDING, THE PILOT ELECTED TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF, WHEN THE AIRCRAFT WOULD NOT LIFT-OFF. HOWEVER, HE OBSERVED A DITCH AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND LEFT THE POWER ON TO JUMP THE DITCH. THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH ORANGE TREES.
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: single-engine land
- Flight time: 61 hours in all; 61 in this make and model; 31 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,611 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 0 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Pro-Flite Of Vero INC.
The flight
- Departed from: X-52 Vero Beach FL
- Destination: X-52 Vero Beach FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,500 ft by 160 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 194°F (90°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:50 pm from VRB, 6 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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 MIA82DA164.