Piper PA-32-300 accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, November 23, 1995
On November 23, 1995 at about 5:48 am local time, a Piper PA-32-300, registered N44CQ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Fort Lauderdale, Florida (Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOTS FAILURE TO FOLLOW THE VISUAL APPROACH SLOPE INDICATOR AND MAINTAIN A PROPER GLIDEPATH DURING APPROACH. CONTRIBUTING TO THE ACCIDENT WAS PILOT FATIGUE.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 23, 1995 · about 5:48 am local time
- Place
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida · Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N44CQ · no longer on the register · serial 32-7940134
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
WHILE MAKING THE NIGHT APPROACH WITH VISIBILITY GREATER THAN 10 MILES, THE PILOT FLEW THE ILS APPROACH TO THE DECISION HEIGHT, AND THEN CONTINUED THE APPROACH VISUALLY. THE AIRCRAFT COLLIDED WITH THE APPROACH LIGHTS AND SEVERED THE LANDING GEAR. THE AIRCRAFT STRUCK A BLAST FENCE AND ADDITIONAL APPROACH LIGHTS BEFORE COMING TO REST SHORT OF THE RUNWAY. THE PILOT STATED HE WAS POSSIBLY DISTRACTED BY LIGHTS ON THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY JUST BEFORE THE RUNWAY. HE ALSO SAID THE VISUAL APPROACH SLOPE INDICATOR WAS OPERATING, AND THAT HE WAS FATIGUED FROM A LONG DAY AND 7 HOURS OF FLYING.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 880 hours in all; 103 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 11 in the last 30 days; 849 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,821 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 8, 1995; 128 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K1G5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SAV Savannah GA at 3:00 am
- Destination: FLL
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 9L, 9,001 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 320° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:08 am from FLL, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.