Piper PA28 N487JK

Summary

On 9 August 2018 at about 14:00 local time, a Piper PA28 registered N487JK, operated by 2FlyAirborne, was involved in an accident near Merritt Island, Florida, United States. One person was on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

9 August 2018 at 14:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Merritt Island, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Merritt Island (COI)

Coordinates

28.3417, -80.6869

Aircraft

Piper PA28

Registration

N487JK

Category

Airplane

Year built

1998

Engines

1

Operator

2FlyAirborne

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Merritt Island → Merritt Island

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA18CA479

Nobody was injured.

The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack while maneuvering to avoid a bird during the landing flare, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The solo student pilot reported that, during landing, before initiating the landing flare, he saw a "white bird" heading toward the airplane. He applied left rudder to avoid the bird, and the airplane drifted left of the runway centerline. He then "[pulled] the yoke back," but the left main landing gear impacted a taxiway sign, and the airplane settled on grass adjacent to the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left-wing spar. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.