20250730009509A

Accident · Destroyed

FAA accident report · Piper PA-28-181 · Block Island, RI · July 30, 2025

Date
July 30, 2025 · 12:10 local
Place
Block Island, RI
Airport
Block Island State
Phase of flight
Landing: Approach
Operating rules
General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage
Destroyed
Aircraft
N961DA
NTSB investigation
NTSBERA25FA280
Reported as
Piper PA-28-181
People aboard
3
Fatal injuries
1
Other injuries
2
Pilot’s certificate
Private pilot
Pilot’s flight hours
500 total100 in this make and model

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

At approximately 1228 local time on Wednesday, July 30, 2025 a single-engine aircraft crashed in the trees approximately 500 feet beyond the landing runway's end. The pilot in command was attempting to land on runway 10. The winds favored runway 28. The pilot made three approaches to runway 10. On the first two approaches the airplane was high and fast. The pilot went around both times. On the third approach the pilot continued and touched down over half way down the short runway. Unable to come to a stop the airplane continued off the end of the runway, down a slope and struck a tree, coming to a stop upside down.

As the FAA filed it

AT APPROXIMATELY 1228 LOCAL TIME ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 30, 2025 A SINGLE-ENGINE AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN THE TREES APPROXIMATELY 500 FEET BEYOND THE LANDING RUNWAY'S END. THE PILOT IN COMMAND WAS ATTEMPTING TO LAND ON RUNWAY 10. THE WINDS FAVORED RUNWAY 28. THE PILOT MADE THREE APPROACHES TO RUNWAY 10. ON THE FIRST TWO APPROACHES THE AIRPLANE WAS HIGH AND FAST. THE PILOT WENT AROUND BOTH TIMES. ON THE THIRD APPROACH THE PILOT CONTINUED AND TOUCHED DOWN OVER HALF WAY DOWN THE SHORT RUNWAY. UNABLE TO COME TO A STOP THE AIRPLANE CONTINUED OFF THE END OF THE RUNWAY, DOWN A SLOPE AND STRUCK A TREE, COMING TO A STOP UPSIDE DOWN.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.