Piper PA-28R-200 incident near Melbourne, Florida, November 13, 1988
On November 13, 1988 at about 8:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-200, registered N32393, suffered minor damage in an incident 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this incident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 13, 1988 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- Melbourne, Florida · Melbourne · map
- Type
- Incident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-200 · all PA-28R-200s on the register
- Registration
- N32393 · registry record · serial 7535050
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT STATED THAT WHILE DOING TOUCH AND GO LANDINGS AT MELBOURNE, HE PUT THE GEAR HANDLE DOWN BUT DID NOT CHECK TO CONFIRM THAT IT WAS DOWN. HE CONTINUED THE APPROACH AND LANDED GEAR UP. AFTERWARD, THE PILOT NOTICED THAT THE GEAR PUMP CIRCUIT BREAKER HAD POPPED. POST INCIDENT RETRACTION CHECK OF THE LANDING GEAR REVEALED THE GEAR WORKED NORMALLY.
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: 132 hours in all; 30 in this make and model; 88 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,152 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, October 28, 1988; 43 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1C6 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Flight Safety Int'L, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: X26 Sebastian FL at 7:50 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 6,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 66°F (19°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:57 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.
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.