Piper PA-28-161 accident near Vero Beach, Florida, May 24, 2008
On May 24, 2008 at about 3:55 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N9245Q, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Vero Beach, Florida (Vero Beach Municiple Airport). It was an instructional 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
The student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff. Contributing to the accident was a crosswind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 24, 2008 · about 3:55 pm local time
- Place
- Vero Beach, Florida · Vero Beach Municiple Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N9245Q · no longer on the register · serial 2841251
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the solo student pilot of the Piper PA-28-161, he initiated a takeoff on runway 29L, a 7,314-foot-long, 100-foot-wide, asphalt runway. As the airplane reached an airspeed of 55 knots, he felt the right wing "drop toward the runway." The airplane pivoted to the left and departed the runway into the grass. The right wing and the right side of the nose section impacted a taxiway sign. The right main landing gear assembly separated from the airplane, damaging an adjacent wing rib. The student pilot and an instructor flew the airplane on the previous flight, practiced takeoffs and landings, and reported no anomalies with the airplane. The student pilot reported no mechanical deficiencies during the accident flight. The reported wind at the airport, about the time of the accident, was from 260 degrees at 9 knots.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- factor Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Contributed to outcome
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Sign/marker › Not specified
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 54 hours in all; 54 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,204 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, May 1, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 2,532 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-03G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VRB Vero Beach FL at 3:55 pm
- Destination: VRB
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29L, 7,314 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,900 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 29.94 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from VRB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.