Piper PA-44-180 accident near Bunnell, Florida, April 2, 1994
On April 2, 1994 at about 5:17 pm local time, a Piper PA-44-180, registered N8303G, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bunnell, Florida (Flagler County airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT (CFI) TO MAINTAIN MINIMUM CONTROL SPEED (VMC) DURING THE GO-AROUND, WHICH RESULTED IN A LOSS OF CONTROL. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS: THE DELAY BY THE DUAL STUDENT TO EXTEND THE LANDING GEAR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 2, 1994 · about 5:17 pm local time
- Place
- Bunnell, Florida · Flagler County
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-44-180 · all PA-44-180s on the register
- Registration
- N8303G · no longer on the register · serial 44-8195003
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN, THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT (CFI) MOVED THE LEFT ENGINE MIXTURE CONTROL TO THE CUTOFF POSITION. THE FLIGHT TURNED TO A LEFT CROSSWIND, DOWNWIND AND BASE. ON BASE LEG, THE CFI FEATHERED THE LEFT ENGINE PROPELLER AND THE FLIGHT TURNED ONTO FINAL APPROACH. DURING THE FINAL APPROACH, THE PILOT OF ANOTHER AIRPLANE IN THE TRAFFIC PATTERN ANNOUNCED ON THE SAME FREQUENCY THAT THE LANDING GEAR WAS NOT EXTENDED. THE STUDENT PILOT EXTENDED THE LANDING GEAR SELECTOR HANDLE, AND THE CFI APPLIED FULL POWER ON THE RIGHT ENGINE TO GO AROUND. THE PILOTS REPORTED THAT THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO CLIMB, THEN IT ENTERED MINIMUM CONTROL SPEED (VMC) AND ROLLED TO THE LEFT. THE LEFT WING CONTACTED THE GROUND, AND THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST UPRIGHT. A POST-CRASH EXAM OF THE AIRPLANE REVEALED THAT THE LANDING GEAR WARNING HORN OPERATED 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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,831 hours in all; 282 in this make and model; 238 in the last 90 days; 93 in the last 30 days; 1,633 as pilot in command; 1,374 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,832 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 15, 1994; 96 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,816 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-E1A6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: X47 at 5:02 pm
- Destination: X47
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 6, 4,755 ft by 200 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 030° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,800 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:52 pm from DAB, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| 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.
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.