# NTSB investigations: Piper PA-28-180: Loss of control in flight

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 ERA26FA208](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26FA208.md): Piper PA-28-180 · Akron, OH · Accident · 2 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Preliminary report · May 14, 2026 · N7188W · Destroyed
  > On May 14, 2026, at 1545 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-180, N7188W, was destroyed when it was involved in an accident near Akron, Ohio. The flight instructor and student pilot were fatally injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of…
- [NTSB ERA26LA123](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA123.md): Piper PA-28-180 · Monroe, NC · Accident · Serious injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Feb 23, 2026 · N9624J · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control while landing in gusting crosswind conditions.
- [NTSB ERA24FA036](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA24FA036.md): Piper PA-28-180 · Micanopy, FL · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Nov 14, 2023 · N7806W · Destroyed
  > The non-instrument-rated pilot’s improper inflight decision making and his flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in spatial disorientation and subsequent loss of airplane control. Contributing to the accident were the pilot’s…
- [NTSB ERA23FA109](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA23FA109.md): Piper PA-28-180 · Dawsonville, GA · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Jan 13, 2023 · N4254T · Destroyed
  > The pilot’s decision to initiate a visual flight rules flight into night instrument meteorological conditions, resulting in a loss of control in-flight due to spatial disorientation. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of qualifications and…
- [NTSB CEN21FA320](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21FA320.md): Piper PA-28-180 · Muscatine, IA · Accident · 2 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Jul 14, 2021 · N2801T · Destroyed
  > The noninstrument-rated pilot’s continued visual flight under a thunderstorm, where he encountered reduced visibility due to heavy precipitation, resulting in a loss of control due to spatial disorientation.
- [NTSB CEN21LA291](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA291.md): Piper PA-28-180 · Loveland, CO · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · Jun 25, 2021 · N9277J · Substantial damage
  > The flight instructor’s failure to maintain aircraft control during the landing flare and subsequent attempted go-around with a strong quartering crosswind.
- [NTSB ERA21LA226](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA21LA226.md): Piper PA-28-180 · Lincoln Park, NJ · Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report · May 23, 2021 · N16528 · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's loss of directional control during an aborted landing in crosswind conditions.
- [NTSB CEN21LA089](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN21LA089.md): Piper PA28 · Bossier City, LA · Accident · 2 fatal · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · Dec 16, 2020 · N55168 · Destroyed
  > The student pilot’s decision to conduct a flight during night instrument meteorological conditions and his loss of airplane control due to spatial disorientation. Contributing to the accident was the student pilot’s use of an amphetamine and his attention…
- [NTSB CEN20LA199](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN20LA199.md): Piper PA28 · Pineville, LA · Accident · 2 fatal · Class 3 · Limited · Final report · May 31, 2020 · N6461J · Substantial damage
  > The airplane’s inability to gain sufficient airspeed after takeoff due to it being at or over its maximum gross weight, which resulted in a loss of control. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to operate the airplane at or over its maximum…
- [NTSB ERA20FA002](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA20FA002.md): Piper PA28 · Asheboro, NC · Accident · 2 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Oct 5, 2019 · N2FB · Destroyed
  > The pilot’s loss of airplane control due to spatial disorientation, which resulted in a collision with terrain. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s lack of recent night flight experience.
- [NTSB CEN19FA247](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN19FA247.md): Piper PA28 · Ontonagon, MI · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Aug 3, 2019 · N5167L · Destroyed
  > The non-instrument-rated pilot’s decision to continue visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions with thunderstorm activity, which resulted in spatial disorientation and a loss of airplane control.
- [NTSB CEN19FA120](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN19FA120.md): Piper PA28 · Lake, MS · Accident · 1 fatal · Class 3 · Field · Final report · Apr 13, 2019 · N4890L · Destroyed
  > The noninstrument-rated pilot’s loss of control while flying in dark night instrument meteorological weather conditions with convective activity, which resulted in the airplane exceeding its structural limitations and experiencing an in-flight breakup.…
- [NTSB ERA19LA052](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA19LA052.md): Piper PA28 · Barnesville, GA · Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · Nov 17, 2018 · N111TA · Substantial damage
  > The student pilot’s failure to maintain airplane control during takeoff and the flight instructor’s delayed remedial action, which resulted in an off-runway landing and subsequent collision with trees.
- [NTSB GAA17CA338](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA17CA338.md): Piper PA 28 · Estherville, IA · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jun 14, 2017 · N33764 · Substantial damage
  > The student pilot's failure to maintain crosswind correction during a go-around in gusting wind conditions.
- [NTSB WPR17FA120](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR17FA120.md): Piper PA 28-180 · Santa Rosa Valley, CA · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Jun 4, 2017 · N4871L · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack while intentionally maneuvering in a steep bank at low altitude, which resulted in an accelerated aerodynamic stall and subsequent loss of control.
- [NTSB CEN17FA147](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN17FA147.md): Piper PA-28-180 · Oxford, IA · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Apr 7, 2017 · N9179J · Destroyed
  > The failure of the pilot receiving instruction to recover from the practice stall before the airplane entered a spin and the flight instructor's inadequate monitoring of the pilot receiving instruction and delayed remedial action to recover the airplane.
- [NTSB ERA16CA211](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA16CA211.md): Piper PA-28 · Williamsburg, VA · Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jun 10, 2016 · N9297J · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during a go-around which led to the airplane exceeding its critical angle-of-attack and experiencing aerodynamic stall.
- [NTSB ERA16FA032](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA16FA032.md): Piper PA 28-180 · Cornelia, GA · Accident · 3 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Nov 5, 2015 · N57WV · Destroyed
  > The pilot's decision to initiate the flight into known adverse weather conditions, which resulted in his spatial disorientation and loss of airplane control.
- [NTSB ERA16FA012](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA16FA012.md): Piper PA 28-180 · Lake Worth, FL · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Oct 13, 2015 · N57312 · Destroyed
  > A loss of control for reasons that could not be determined based on the available information.
- [NTSB GAA15CA239](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/GAA15CA239.md): Piper PA 28-180 · Susanville, CA · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Aug 26, 2015 · N1417X · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed control during the landing in gusty wind conditions, resulting in an abnormal runway contact, and collision with terrain.
- [NTSB ERA15CA064](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA15CA064.md): Piper PA 28-180 · Athens, AL · Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report · Nov 30, 2014 · N7422W · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain adequate altitude while landing in gusty wind conditions, which resulted in a collision with power lines while on final approach.
- [NTSB CEN13CA474](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN13CA474.md): Piper PA-28-180 · Clare, MI · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Aug 7, 2013 · N2195T · Substantial damage
  > The flight instructor's failure to adequately monitor the landing approach, his delayed corrective action and his failure to maintain directional control that resulted in the airplane's collision with a ditch adjacent to the runway. The student pilot's…
- [NTSB WPR12CA419](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/WPR12CA419.md): Piper PA-28-180 · French Valley, CA · Accident · Minor injuries · Data collection · Final report · Sep 14, 2012 · N7971W · Substantial damage
  > The pilot’s loss of directional control during a go-around following a sudden change in wind direction.
- [NTSB CEN12LA308](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN12LA308.md): Piper PA-28-180 · Frankenmuth, MI · Accident · Minor injuries · Limited investigation · Final report · May 20, 2012 · N4595T · Substantial damage
  > A partial loss of engine power for undetermined reasons and the pilot’s failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
- [NTSB ERA12FA163](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA12FA163.md): Piper PA-28-180 · Thomasville, PA · Accident · 1 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Jan 29, 2012 · N1352T · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during an approach in gusty crosswind conditions, which resulted in an inadvertent aerodynamic stall.
- [NTSB CEN12FA072](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN12FA072.md): Piper PA-28-180 · Perryville, AR · Accident · 4 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Nov 17, 2011 · N7746W · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's loss of control in flight.
- [NTSB CEN11CA176](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CEN11CA176.md): Piper PA-28-180 · Pekin, IL · Accident · Serious injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jan 19, 2011 · N5658W · Substantial damage
  > The student pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed during the landing approach, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
- [NTSB SEA08FA187](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/SEA08FA187.md): Piper PA-28-180 · Springerville, AZ · Accident · 2 fatal · Field investigation · Final report · Aug 20, 2008 · N5316L · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to attain and maintain an adequate airspeed during takeoff in high density altitude conditions that resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
- [NTSB CHI08CA174](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/CHI08CA174.md): Piper PA-28-180 · Greenwood, IL · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Jun 30, 2008 · N4433T · Substantial damage
  > The student pilot's inadequate compensation for the gusting crosswind, and the flight instructor's delayed remedial actions that resulted in a loss of control during the go-around maneuver. Contributing to the accident was the gusting wind condition.
- [NTSB DFW08CA124](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/DFW08CA124.md): Piper PA-28-180 · Rifle, CO · Accident · No injuries · Data collection · Final report · Apr 20, 2008 · N7417W · Substantial damage
  > The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane on landing. A factor was the crosswind and wind gusts.

## 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" = '240' 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/240/sequence?model=7102808

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