# NTSB ERA27LA021: Piper PA-28-181, N43956, Medford, NJ, October 23, 2026

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Serious injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Investigation open
- Date: October 23, 2026, 09:30 local (13:30 UTC)
- Place: Medford, NJ
- Location: 39.9009° N, 74.8235° W: Placed by OpenAirDocs: center of Medford, NJ, within about 6 miles (OpenAirDocs)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.9009&lon=-74.8235&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Takeoff](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/300) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Takeoff: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341)
- Highest injury: Serious injuries
- Injuries: 1 serious
- Status: Investigation ongoing
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation
- NTSB case key (mKey): 204063
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA27LA021
- Latest NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/204063/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA27LA021

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Takeoff: Loss of engine power (total)](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341) (defining event); cases with it: [Piper PA-28-181, 27 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md?model=7102807), [All aircraft, 3,824 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/341/sequence.md)

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N43956](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N43956), registered now, S/N 28-7890033, built 1977 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: PIPER PA-28-181
- Registry model: [Piper PA-28-181](https://openairdocs.org/model/piper-pa-28-181) (registry code 7102807) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming O&VO-360 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-o-vo-360-series) (registry code 41514, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Flight: Part 91
- Operator: Freeflight Aviation LLC
- Registered owner: Freeflight Aviation LLC

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: 30° at 11 knots
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Observed at: 11 nm away

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.

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