Piper PA-44-180 accident near Vero Beach, Florida, August 13, 1998
On August 13, 1998 at about 11:25 pm local time, a Piper PA-44-180, registered N144JR, was substantially damaged in an accident near Vero Beach, Florida (Vero Beach Municipal 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student's improper retraction of the landing gear and the instructor's inadequate supervision.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 13, 1998 · about 11:25 pm local time
- Place
- Vero Beach, Florida · Vero Beach Municipal
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-44-180 · all PA-44-180s on the register
- Registration
- N144JR · no longer on the register · serial 7995125
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The CFI stated he had taken positive control of the aircraft flight controls on landing rollout from the rated student pilot. He advanced the throttles to initiate a touch-and-go takeoff. The rated student pilot raised the landing gear control lever to the up position without his knowledge. The CFI reached down to retract the flaps when the nose pitched down and the airplane collided with the terrain.
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: 1,042 hours in all; 479 in this make and model; 133 in the last 90 days; 36 in the last 30 days; 907 as pilot in command; 670 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,126 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, August 8, 1998; 22 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-E1A6D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VRB at 7:24 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 11R, 7,296 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 150° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:32 pm from VRB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.