Piper PA-24-250 accident near Clearwater, Florida, December 19, 1998
On December 19, 1998 at about 10:14 pm local time, a Piper PA-24-250, registered N5836P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Clearwater, Florida (St Petersburg-Clearwater 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
The delay by the pilot-in-command (CFI) to take control of the airplane and inadvertent stall/mush resulting in the uncontrolled descent and impact with the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- December 19, 1998 · about 10:14 pm local time
- Place
- Clearwater, Florida · St Petersburg-Clearwater · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250 · all PA-24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N5836P · registry record · serial 24-917
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student had failed the soft field takeoff procedure during a commercial checkride 3 days earlier and was flying with his flight instructor for additional training. The instructor stated that the student had the tendency to allow the airplane to drift to the left after the nose wheel came off the ground. The flight departed and with the student performing a soft field takeoff, the airplane began drifting to the left. The instructor advised the student to apply 'a lot more right rudder!' and the student applied 'way too much' right rudder. While flying in a cross controlled condition, the instructor attempted to regain control but the airplane stalled and the left wing of the airplane contacted the runway, followed by the right wing. The airplane then traveled off the runway onto grass and came to rest with the right main landing gear collapsed. The instructor stated that he should have taken corrective action sooner. Examination of the airplane revealed a bent and broken threaded portion of a rod end for the retract/extension rod.
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 single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,090 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 90 in the last 90 days; 48 in the last 30 days; 940 as pilot in command; 525 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,110 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 13, 1998; 164 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-A1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PIE at 10:13 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 9, 5,165 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 110° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:15 pm from PIE
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.
Other NTSB records under N5836P 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.