# NTSB investigations: Piper PA-28-181: Controlled flight into terr/obj (CFIT)

NTSB aviation accident and incident investigations since 1962: the probable cause, findings, aircraft, crew, weather and docket of each, linked to the FAA registry and the FAA’s own reports.

## Latest cases

- [NTSB ERA26LA307](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA307.md): Piper PA-28-181 · Altoona, PA · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Aug 14, 2026 · N586MA · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s descent below the glidepath and collision with trees during a missed approach.
- [NTSB ERA23LA127](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23LA127.md): Piper PA-28-181 · Atlanta, GA · Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Feb 16, 2023 · N103AV · Substantial damage
  > The flight instructor’s failure to effectively utilize carburetor heat, which resulted in a total loss of engine power during initial climb due to carburetor ice that formed during the engine run-up and taxi.
- [NTSB ERA19FA070](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA19FA070.md): Piper PA28 · Blairsville, GA · Accident · 3 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Dec 20, 2018 · N6143J · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from trees during a visual approach for landing in night visual meteorological conditions. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's lack of recent experience flying at night.
- [NTSB WPR17FA025](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR17FA025.md): Piper PA 28-181 · Upland, CA · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Nov 22, 2016 · N6912C · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from rising terrain in dark night conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.
- [NTSB CEN14CA209](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN14CA209.md): Piper PA 28-181 · Put in Bay, OH · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Apr 21, 2014 · N405S · Substantial damage
  > An inflight collision with a goose while on an approach.
- [NTSB ERA14FA162](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA14FA162.md): Piper PA-28-181 · Safety Harbor, FL · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Mar 22, 2014 · N8309L · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's inadequate fuel planning, which resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's impairment due to cocaine use.
- [NTSB ERA11FA480](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA11FA480.md): Piper PA-28-181 · Provincetown, MA · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Sep 1, 2011 · N6249C · Destroyed
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate clearance from trees and terrain during the initial climb. Contributing was spatial disorientation due to a vestibular illusion and the pilot’s likely impairment due to alcohol consumption.
- [NTSB WPR11FA145](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR11FA145.md): Piper PA-28-181 · Phoenix, AZ · Accident · 3 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Feb 26, 2011 · N910PA · Substantial damage
  > The pilot and flight instructor's failure to adequately monitor the flight task and environment while maneuvering to maintain sufficient altitude with rising terrain in dark night conditions and the flight instructor's improper decision to practice in an area…
- [NTSB ERA10CA337](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA10CA337.md): Piper PA-28-181 · Great Barrington, MA · Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jun 28, 2010 · N30062 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's attempted visual flight into night instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in spatial disorientation and subsequent controlled flight into terrain.
- [NTSB WPR10FA120](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR10FA120.md): Piper PA-28-181 · Phoenix, AZ · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Jan 28, 2010 · N293PA · Substantial damage
  > The student pilot’s decision to take off in marginal visual flight rules conditions, which resulted in an encounter with low clouds, and the pilot's failure to maintain clearance from wires while maneuvering in the traffic pattern for landing.
- [NTSB CEN10LA054](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN10LA054.md): Piper PA-28-181 · Mineola, TX · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Nov 19, 2009 · N3148Q · Substantial damage
  > A loss of engine power due to fuel exhaustion and the pilot's inadequate preflight planning.

## The whole list in SQL

Runs in DuckDB 1.2 or later on the release's Parquet files over HTTPS:

```sql
SELECT c."ntsbNumber", c."eventDate", c."eventType", c."eventCity", c."eventStateOrRegion", a.n_number, a."aircraftMake", a."aircraftModel", c."highestInjuryLevel", c."totalFatal", c."completionStatus", c.report_url
FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_case_detail.parquet' c LEFT JOIN 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' a ON a.case_mkey = c."mKey" AND a.position = 1
WHERE c."mKey" IN (SELECT x.case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_aircrafts.parquet' x WHERE x.aircraft_model_code IN ('7102807', '7102832')
    AND EXISTS (SELECT 1 FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' s WHERE s.case_mkey = x.case_mkey AND s.aircrafts_position = x.position AND s."tier2Number" = '120' AND s.case_mkey IN (SELECT case_mkey FROM 'https://openairdocs.org/data/latest/ntsb_events.parquet' WHERE "isDefiningEvent")))
ORDER BY c."eventDate" DESC, c."ntsbNumber" DESC
```

This list as a web page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/120/sequence?model=7102807

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