Piper PA-32-300 accident near Fort Pierce, Florida, October 25, 1992
On October 25, 1992 at about 3:22 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-300, registered N38800, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Pierce, Florida. It was a personal 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
AN ENGINE FAILURE OVER UNSUITABLE TERRAIN. THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE FAILURE WAS FUEL CONTAMINATION BY FERROUS METAL PARTICLES THAT PREVENTED THE FUEL SERVO FROM OPERATING PROPERLY. THE ORIGIN OF THE CONTAMINATION IS UNKNOWN.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 25, 1992 · about 3:22 pm local time
- Place
- Fort Pierce, Florida · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N38800 · no longer on the register · serial 7840001
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED AN ENGINE FAILURE AND EXECUTED A FORCED LANDING TO A CANAL. EXAMINATION OF THE ENGINE FUEL SERVO REVEALED CONTAMINATION BY FERROUS METAL PARTICLES ON THE FUEL AND AIR SIDE OF THE SERVO DIAPHRAGM PREVENTING PROPER OPERATION.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,000 hours in all; 3,000 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,239 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded, January 2, 2000
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1G5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MYER Rock Sound OF at 2:00 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 050° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:33 pm from FPR, 1 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 N38800 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.