Piper PA-28 accident near Melbourne, Florida, October 30, 1986
On October 30, 1986 at about 2:35 pm local time, a Piper PA-28, registered N242FT, was substantially damaged in an accident near Melbourne, Florida (Melbourne 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).
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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
- October 30, 1986 · about 2:35 pm local time
- Place
- Melbourne, Florida · Melbourne · 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
- N242FT · registry record · serial 28-8216201
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT WAS MAKING HER 1ST SOLO LDG WHEN THE ACFT BEGAN TO BALLOON & PORPOISE. THE ACFT HIT THE RWY ON THE NOSE & PROP THEN CAME TO REST BESIDE THE RWY. A WITNESS STATED THAT THE ACFT HAD 'GOT AWAY FROM HER'. THE PLT STATED THE ACCIDENT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED IF SHE HAD FOLLOWED HER 1ST REACTION & HAD GONE AROUND INSTEAD OF TRYING TO SALVAGE THE LDG.
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: student
- Flight time: 13 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 13 in the last 90 days; 1 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,111 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 24, 1986; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 4, 3,002 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 8,000 ft; scat at 800 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:39 pm from MLB
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 MIA87LA016.