# Accident 20260325005629A: Piper PA-32-260, Block Island, RI, March 25, 2026

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: March 25, 2026, 04:57 local time
- Place: Block Island, RI
- Airport: Block Island State
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Landing: Touchdown
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 41.1647° N, 71.5897° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.1647&lon=-71.5897&mi=10
- Aircraft: N7081H, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N7081H) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Piper PA-32-260 (registry code 7103206, https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-32-260) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming O-540-E4B5 (registry code 42342, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-540-e4b5) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-32-260
- Reported engine: LYCOMING O-540-E4B5
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 2
- Pilot certificates: Private pilot, student
- Pilot flight hours: 215 total, 113 in this make and model
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA26LA151](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA151) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260325005629A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

ON MARCH 25, 2026, AN AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT INVOLVING A ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ WITH TWO PILOTS OCCURRED. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED FROM CHATHAM MUNICIPAL AIRPORT (CQX) FOR A POST-MAINTENANCE TEST FLIGHT, FOLLOWING A RECENT ENGINE OVERHAUL, WITH THE DESTINATION BEING BLOCK ISLAND STATE AIRPORT (BID) FOR THE PURPOSE OF ENGINE BREAK-IN. AT APPROXIMATELY 4:51 PM, DURING FINAL APPROACH TO BID, THE PILOT IN CONTROL REPORTED THAT THE THROTTLE WAS UNRESPONSIVE AND WAS UNABLE TO REGULATE THE ENGINE'S RPM FOR LANDING. THE SECOND PILOT ASSUMED CONTROL AND CONFIRMED THE THROTTLE MALFUNCTION.

GIVEN THE AIRCRAFT'S SHALLOW DESCENT AND HIGH SPEED OVER THE RUNWAY, THE PILOTS DETERMINED THAT EXECUTING A GO-AROUND WAS NOT FEASIBLE DUE TO THE RISK OF POWER LOSS AND POTENTIAL STALLING. CONSEQUENTLY, THEY DECIDED TO SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AND ATTEMPT A GLIDE LANDING IN AN OPEN FIELD NEAR THE RUNWAY. THE AIRCRAFT EXECUTED A HARD LANDING, AND BOTH PILOTS EXITED WITH MINOR INJURIES. EMERGENCY SERVICES WERE NOTIFIED, AND THE BLOCK ISLAND FIRE DEPARTMENT, BLOCK ISLAND RESCUE SQUAD, AND NEW SHOREHAM POLICE RESPONDED TO THE SCENE. UPON ARRIVAL, EMERGENCY PERSONNEL REPORTED THAT BOTH PILOTS WERE ALERT AND AMBULATORY. THE BOTH PILOTS WERE TRANSPORTED TO RHODE ISLAND HOSPITAL FOR FURTHER EVALUATION AND WERE SUBSEQUENTLY DISCHARGED THE FOLLOWING DAY.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB ERA26LA151](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA151), Mar 25, 2026: Piper PA-32-260 (N7081H), Block Island, RI, substantial damage. Probable cause: Maintenance personnel’s failure to ensure that the throttle cable was properly secured to the carburetor, which resulted an inflight separation of the throttle cable and the pilots’ inability to…

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft 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. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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