Piper PA-38-112 accident near Fort Pierce, Florida, October 5, 1988
On October 5, 1988 at about 5:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-38-112, registered N91323, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Pierce, Florida (Strazzula Brothers airport). It was an instructional flight 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
- October 5, 1988 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Pierce, Florida · Strazzula Brothers
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-38-112 · all PA-38-112s on the register
- Registration
- N91323 · registry record · serial 38-81A0157
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE PRACTICING MANEUVERS NEAR A GRASS AIRSTRIP, THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ENGINE COWLING OPENED. THE PLT ELECTED TO PERFORM A LOW PASS TO OBSERVE WIND DIRECTION, THEN A PRECAUTIONARY LANDING AT THE AIRSTRIP. AFTER TOUCHDOWN, THE ACFT BECAME AIRBORNE AND DRIFTED OFF THE RWY, STRIKING THEN COMING TO REST UPRIGHT AT A DIKE. ACCORDING TO THE CHIEF PILOT OF THE FLIGHT SCHOOL, THERE WAS A 60-70 DEGREE, 15 KNOT CROSSWIND AT THE AIRSTRIP WHEN HE ARRIVED ONE HOUR AFTER THE ACCIDENT. NO MECHANICAL FAILURES OR MALFUNCTIONS WERE REPORTED.
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: 79 hours in all; 79 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 31 in the last 30 days; 41 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,308 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, September 27, 1988; 37 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,670 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-235-L2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FPR Fort Pierce FL at 4:30 pm
- Destination: VRB Vero Beach FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 3,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 11 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 7,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:50 pm from VRB, 8 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.
Other NTSB records under N91323 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 MIA89LA003.