# NTSB investigations: Piper PA-28-180: 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 ANC25FA098](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC25FA098.md): Piper PA-28-180 · Wolf, WY · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Preliminary report · Sep 1, 2025 · N8307W · Substantial damage
  > On September 1, 2025 about 1612 mountain daylight time, a Piper PA-28-180 airplane, N8307W, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Wolf, Wyoming. The pilot and one passenger were seriously injured; one passenger was fatally…
- [NTSB CEN24FA295](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN24FA295.md): Piper PA-28-180 · Irene, SD · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Jul 31, 2024 · N903US · Destroyed
  > The pilot’s poor decision to continue the flight into deteriorating weather conditions and his failure to maintain a safe altitude, which resulted in controlled flight into trees and terrain.
- [NTSB CEN19LA304](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN19LA304.md): Piper PA-28D-180 · Midlothian, TX · Accident · No injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Sep 6, 2019 · N6595J · Substantial damage
  > Misalignment of the fuel selector valve when the right fuel tank was selected, which restricted fuel flow and resulted in a total loss of engine power due to fuel starvation.
- [NTSB ERA19WA207](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA19WA207.md): Piper PA 28-180 · Cabo Rojo, Dominican Republic · Accident · 4 fatal · Foreign investigation · Jun 29, 2019 · N55784 · Destroyed
- [NTSB ANC18FA036](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ANC18FA036.md): Piper PA-28-180 · Whittier, AK · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 2 · Field · Final report · May 12, 2018 · N7061W · Substantial damage
  > The student pilot's decision to depart and continue on a solo cross-country flight through mountainous terrain in marginal visual flight rules conditions, which resulted in controlled flight into terrain.
- [NTSB GAA18CA347](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA18CA347.md): Piper PA28 · Pine Spring, TX · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · May 2, 2018 · N9494J · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain adequate altitude while flying over mountainous terrain in turbulent wind conditions at night, which resulted in a tree strike.
- [NTSB WPR14CA013](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR14CA013.md): Piper PA 28-180 · Cody, WY · Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report · Oct 11, 2013 · N31BA · Substantial damage
  > A loss of engine power during climb to cruise for reasons that could not be determined due to no postaccident examination.
- [NTSB CEN13FA067](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13FA067.md): Piper PA-28-180 · Hillsdale, MI · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Nov 21, 2012 · N40781 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from terrain during a straight-in night visual flight rules approach to land in hazy weather conditions. Contributing to the accident were the pilot's lack of recent night flying experience, the nonfunctional…
- [NTSB ERA13FA064](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA13FA064.md): Piper PA-28-180 · Canton, CT · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Nov 19, 2012 · N8826J · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from terrain while performing a night visual approach to an airport. Contributing to the accident were the dark night and the pilot's lack of recent experience flying at night.
- [NTSB WPR13FA001](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR13FA001.md): Piper PA-28-180 · Beatty, NV · Accident · Serious injuries · Field investigation · Final report · Oct 3, 2012 · N7895W · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s inadequate flight planning, subsequent loss of situational awareness, and failure to maintain clearance from the power lines during a dark night approach to a closed, unlit runway.
- [NTSB ERA11FA422](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA11FA422.md): Piper PA-28-180 · Berne, NY · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Jul 25, 2011 · N1279T · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in a collision with trees and rising terrain while attempting to reverse course. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to obtain a preflight weather…
- [NTSB WPR10LA370](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR10LA370.md): Piper PA-28-180 · Walla Walla, WA · Accident · Serious injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Jul 28, 2010 · N57PJ · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's partial incapacitation during cruise flight and his subsequent inadequate fuel management, which resulted in fuel starvation.
- [NTSB ERA10CA152](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA10CA152.md): Piper PA-28-180 · Patillas, PR · Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report · Feb 24, 2010 · N5212L · Substantial damage
  > The student pilot’s decision to abort the takeoff with insufficient runway remaining.
- [NTSB CEN10LA055](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN10LA055.md): Piper PA-28-180 · Naytahwaush, MN · Accident · 1 fatal · Limited investigation · Final report · Nov 14, 2009 · N7736N · Destroyed
  > The non-instrument rated pilot's decision to continue the flight into known instrument meteorological conditions resulting in spatial disorientation and impact with terrain.

## 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 ('7102808')
    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=7102808

---
OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.