Piper PA-28-140 accident near Kissimmee, Florida, March 7, 1993
On March 7, 1993 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N5314S, was destroyed in an accident near Kissimmee, Florida (Kissimmee Municipal airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S ATTEMPT TO CLIMB AT A HIGH PITCH ATTITUDE AFTER TAKEOFF AND HIS FAILURE TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED WHICH RESULTED IN A STALL MUSH CONDITION UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED TO THE GROUND. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S ATTEMPT TO TAKE OFF 150 POUNDS OVER MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT WITH A CENTER OF GRAVITY FORWARD OF THE FORWARD CENTER OF GRAVITY LIMIT. ADDITIONALLY, CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND'S FAILURE TO SET STABILIZER TRIM FOR TAKEOFF AND HIS FAILURE TO RECOGNIZE THE STALLED CONDITION AND INITIATE STALL RECOVERY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 7, 1993 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Kissimmee, Florida · Kissimmee Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N5314S · no longer on the register · serial 28-26856
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
AFTER TAKEOFF THE AIRCRAFT WAS OBSERVED BY WITNESSES TO BE IN AN UNUSUALLY HIGH PITCH ATTITUDE WHICH SOME WITNESSES DESCRIBED AS A STALLED CONDITION. THE PASSENGERS STATED THAT AFTER TAKEOFF THE AIRCRAFT BEGAN TO SHAKE BUT THAT THE ENGINE NOISE DID NOT CHANGE. THE AIRCRAFT DESCENDED IN THE HIGH PITCH ATTITUDE UNTIL GROUND IMPACT. EXAMINATION OF THE AIRCRAFT REVEALED NO EVIDENCE TO INDICATE PRECRASH FAILURE OR MALFUNCTION OF THE AIRCRAFT STRUCTURE, FLIGHT CONTROLS, OR ENGINE. CALCULATIONS INDICATED THE AIRCRAFT WAS ABOUT 150 OVER MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE GROSS WEIGHT AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT. THE CENTER OF GRAVITY WAS 2.8 INCHES FORWARD OF THE FORWARD LIMIT FOR THE WEIGHT CONDITIONS. THE STABILATOR TRIM WAS FOUND AT THE 9-DEGREE TAB-DOWN OR NOSE-UP POSITION. THE AIRCRAFT FLIGHT MANUAL CALLS FOR TRIM NEAR NEUTRAL FOR TAKEOFF. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S LOGBOOK THE PILOT DID NOT HAVE THE REQUIRED THREE TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS IN THE PAST 90 DAYS REQUIRED BY REGULATIONS TO ACT AS PILOT-IN-COMMAND CARRYING PASSENGERS.
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: 181 hours in all; 3 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 85 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,565 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 9, 1992; 67 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E3D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: ISM at 7:30 pm
- Destination: 2RR Lake Wales FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 15, 6,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 7,000 ft; not recorded at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:50 pm from MCO, 11 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.