Piper PA-34-200 accident near Daytona Beach, Florida, August 31, 1998
On August 31, 1998 at about 3:53 pm local time, a Piper PA-34-200, registered N15541, was substantially damaged in an accident near Daytona Beach, Florida (Daytona Beach Int'L 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 dual-student's attempt to perform a go-around after a reported loss of power in the left engine during landing flare and his failure to relinquish the controls to the instructor when control was lost during the go-around resulting in the aircraft rolling uncontrollably to the left and colliding with the ground left wing first.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 31, 1998 · about 3:53 pm local time
- Place
- Daytona Beach, Florida · Daytona Beach Int'L · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-200 · all PA-34-200s on the register
- Registration
- N15541 · no longer on the register · serial 34-7350074
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The instructor stated the left engine quit as the dual-student flared for landing. The dual student initiated a go-around and the aircraft rolled uncontrollably to the left. As the instructor attempted to regain control, the dual-student froze on the controls. The instructor placed the left propeller in the feathered position and as he continued to attempt to gain control from the dual-student, the aircraft struck the ground left wing first and spun around coming to rest. The left engine and propeller were placed on a engine test stand after the accident and operated to full power with no evidence of mechanical failure or malfunction that would cause loss of power.
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: 400 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,285 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, August 24, 1998; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1E6 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Wrightway Aviation, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: DAB at 2:35 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7L, 10,500 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:00 pm from DAB, 1 miles away
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.