Accident: Piper PA-28-161
Aug 17, 2023 · Fort Pierce, FL
NTSB numberERA23FA340Event id20230817192890
- 1
- Fatalities
- 1
- Serious injuries
- 0
- Minor injuries
- 0
- Uninjured
Probable cause
The left seat instructor’s intentional maneuvering of the airplane in an aerobatic steep turn for which it was not approved, which resulted in an exceedance of the structural limitations of the airplane and an inflight breakup.
Source: National Transportation Safety Board. Record last changed Oct 28, 2026, 10:54 UTC.
Aircraft involved
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161
- Registration
- N9855S
- Year built
- 2002
- Category
- Airplane
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Operating rules
- Part 91: general aviation
- Defining event
- Maneuvering-aerobatics Aircraft structural failure
Source: National Transportation Safety Board aviation accident database. Counts only; Voydar holds no names.
Nearest airports
Airports with a Voydar profile closest to the recorded position. Proximity only.
- Treasure Coast International Airport (FPR)9 nm (17 km) north-east
- Vero Beach Regional Airport (VRB)15 nm (27 km) north-east
- Okeechobee County Airport (OBE)20 nm (37 km) south-west
This page restates the NTSB's public record. Injury figures are counts; Voydar does not hold or publish the names of anyone involved.