Piper PA28 N686JA

Summary

On 20 March 2024 at about 14:09 local time, a Piper PA28 registered N686JA, operated by Orlando Flight Academy, Inc., was involved in an accident near Apopka, Florida, United States. 2 people were on board. The aircraft was slightly damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

20 March 2024 at 14:09

Classification

Accident

Location

Apopka, Florida, United States

Nearest airport

Orlando Apopka Airport (X04)

Coordinates

28.7071, -81.5821

Aircraft

Piper PA28

Registration

N686JA

Category

Airplane

Year built

2022

Engines

1

Operator

Orlando Flight Academy, Inc.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Instructional

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Crystal River → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Minor

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA24LA149

Injuries not recorded.

The pilot and the landscape worker’s inadequate visual lookout, which resulted in a collision.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

The student pilot had landed following completion of a solo cross-country flight and was taxiing the airplane along a taxiway. A video from a security camera depicted the airplane taxiing while an individual who was not wearing visible hearing protection, audio headphones, or wearing visibility-enhancing outer clothing was performing landscape work with a powered edger alongside a building. As the airplane approached the location of the building travelling at what the pilot reported as a “standard ground speed,” the landscape worker, who reported he did not notice the airplane approaching from his left, moved towards the taxiway. As the airplane continued along the taxiway centerline, the worker moved to the edge of the taxiway with his head tilted down and then turned to the right to follow the edge of the taxiway placing his back to the approaching airplane. The outboard portion of the airplane’s right wing near the wingtip contacted the worker and knocked him forcefully to the ground resulting in serious injuries. The airplane veered slightly to the right off centerline before stopping. Postaccident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration inspector revealed that the airplane’s wing had incurred minor damage. The inspector also found that there were no discrepancies with the airplane’s braking or steering systems, nor did the pilot report any. Additionally, there were no skid marks on the taxiway and the main landing gear tires did not exhibit any flat spots consistent with no heavy braking having been applied before the collision.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.