Piper PA-28R-200 accident near Boca Raton, Florida, July 14, 1999
On July 14, 1999, a Piper PA-28R-200, registered N56706, was substantially damaged in an accident near Boca Raton, Florida. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
a total loss of engine power due to a failed oil pump impeller which resulted in a forced landing and a subsequent hard landing on a golf course.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 14, 1999
- Place
- Boca Raton, Florida
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-200 · all PA-28R-200s on the register
- Registration
- N56706 · no longer on the register · serial 28R-7435032
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he was flying southbound along the coast when he noticed that there was no indication on the engine oil pressure gauge. He elected to turn towards an airport, and tried to climb, but the engine started to run rough, and then lost complete power. At the time the flight was at an altitude of 1,200 feet. The pilot elected to land on a golf course that was directly ahead, and sent out a Mayday. The airplane landed 'hard' on a fairway, the main landing gear separated and the airplane came to a stop. The engine teardown revealed that the oil pump idler impeller failed. Subsequently, the engine lost complete power due to lack of oil lubrication. An Airworthiness Directive (AD) referance the oil pump impeller was found not have been complied with (AD-81-18-04).
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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 422 hours in all; 125 in this make and model; 31 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 357 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,724 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 5, 1999; 95 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,600 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1C (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: LNA Lantana FL
- Destination: FXE Ft. Lauderdale FL
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 110° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.