On July 10, 2024, at approximately 14:15 EDT, a Piper PA-28-161 Warrior II in visual flight conditions with two people on board, crashed into a lake north of runway 27L while performing a “touch-and-go” at North Palm Beach County General Aviation Airport (F45) in West Palm Beach, Florida. Both occupants were taken to the hospital and later pronounced dead. Our hearts go out to the families and friends of the victims of this tragic accident.
The Piper PA-28-161 aircraft (N81250) was manufactured by Piper in 1979 and was owned by Paul Sanchez, the owner of Sanchez Aviation Training Services in Boca Raton, Florida. The flight was apparently a training flight involving a private pilot rated student working on his instrument pilot rating and his flight instructor. The flight was a multi-airport training flight originating in Pompano Beach before traveling to Sarasota, Melbourne, and finally, North County Airport in West Palm Beach. The last ADS-B data indicates that the aircraft was traveling at 300 feet altitude with a ground speed of 75 knots. While this is not abnormal, the rate of descent is abnormal, at 832 feet per minute, which is very high for such a low altitude.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the accident. The NTSB’s lead investigator for this accident, Daniel Boggs, said the men were practicing taking off and landing immediately prior to the accident.
Aviation Safety Network cited unconfirmed reports “suggest[ing] the aircraft stalled and spun during a go-around attempt following a loss of power.”
While it is too early in the investigation to determine exactly what caused the aircraft to crash so close to the departing runway, based on Aviation Law Group’s experience, the NTSB will likely consider the possibility that the aircraft did indeed lose power as it was climbing away from the runway following a touch-and-go.
Unfortunately, loss of power during the takeoff and climb-out phases of flight is an all-too-common cause of aviation accidents. The NTSB will investigate any number of causes of engine power loss, including a bird strike, catastrophic engine failure, fuel exhaustion, and fuel contamination.
Aviation Law Group (ALG) is an aviation accident law firm with offices in Florida, Washington, and Hawaii that limits its law practice to only aviation accident cases. For over 30 years, the attorneys at Aviation Law Group have litigated and are currently litigating complex aviation accidents like this accident around the country. Aviation Law Group attorneys Robert Hedrick, Casey DuBose, and Chris Rusing have all been Certified Flight Instructors with well over two thousand hours of combined time performing instruction for student and rated pilots alike. The attorneys are very familiar with flight instruction practices, procedures, and accident avoidance. ALG attorney Kerry Kovarik brings his vast experience as a pilot and as an Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic with the highest maintenance qualification, which is FAA Inspection Authorization. He digs deep into suspected engine failure cases and engine issues.
If you have questions about this accident or any other aviation accident, please do not hesitate to contact us.