Piper PA28R accident near Cedar Key, FL
On February 12, 2017, a Piper PA28R (airplane) was involved in an accident near Cedar Key, FL. 3 people died. Damage to the aircraft: destroyed.
- Date
- February 12, 2017
- Place
- Cedar Key, FL
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28R · Airplane
- Injuries
- 3 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Position
- 29.049°N, 82.968°W
- NTSB ID
- 20170215X21447
Official records · ERA17FA108
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHTOn February 12, 2017, about 1106 eastern standard time, a Piper PA-28R-200, N4504X, was destroyed when it impacted the Gulf of Mexico about 7 miles southeast of Cedar Key, Florida. The private pilot and two passengers were fatally injured. The airplane was registered to Flying Arrow, LLC and was being operated by the pilot under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Instrument meteorological conditions prevailed in the area of the accident site, and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight. The flight departed Brooksville-Tampa Bay Regional Airport (BKV), Brooksville, Florida, at 1037, destined for George T. Lewis Airport (CDK), Cedar Key, Florida. According to GPS data recovered from a handheld device onboard the airplane, the airplane flew a northwesterly track from BKV toward CDK at a cruising altitude of about 2,400 ft mean sea level (msl) over coastal islands and the Gulf of Mexico. Review of the GPS track and satellite imagery indicated that about 20 nautical miles southeast of CDK, the airplane began to gradually descend near a line of overcast cloud cover that ran from southwest to northeast. Weather data from the closest available reporting stations and from pilot reports indicated that the cloud bases decreased in height from south to north. About 3 minutes later, the airplane's descent rate increased to about 250 ft per minute (fpm) as the airplane continued its northwesterly track. About 4 minutes later, when the airplane was about 7 nautical miles from CDK at an altitude of about 1,000 ft msl, the airplane bega
Probable cause
The non-instrument-rated pilot's improper decision to continue visual flight rules flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in spatial disorientation and a loss of airplane control.
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Browse: Florida · Piper aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
