Piper PA-32-260 accident near Pinetown, North Carolina, August 6, 2026
On August 6, 2026 at about 5:55 pm local time, a 1976 Piper PA-32-260, registered N8791E, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Pinetown, North Carolina. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 6, 2026 · about 5:55 pm local time · cases in 2026
- Place
- Pinetown, North Carolina · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-260, built 1976 · all PA-32-260s on the register
- Registration
- N8791E · registry record · serial 32-7600012
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On August 6, 2026, about 1355 eastern daylight time, a Piper Aircraft PA-32-260 airplane, N8791E, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Pinetown, North Carolina. The private pilot and two passengers sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. According to the pilot, after departing Martin County Airport (MCZ), Williamston, North Carolina, enroute to Ocracoke Island Airport (W95), Ocracoke, North Carolina, he climbed to and leveled at 3,000 ft mean sea level. About 10 minutes after establishing cruise flight, the engine experienced a total loss of power. The pilot established the airplane's best-glide airspeed, transmitted a mayday call, and attempted to restart the engine. Unable to restore engine power, he selected a logging path within a wooded area for a forced landing. During the landing rollout, the airplane's left wing struck a tree. The airplane subsequently impacted another tree and came to rest in a ditch, resulting in substantial damage to the wings and fuselage. The wreckage was recovered to a secure facility for further examination.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Loss of engine power (total) during enroute defining event
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,217.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 26, 2025; 49 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
The flight
- Departed from: MCZ Williamston NC at 5:40 pm
- Destination: W95 Ocracoke NC
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 3,900 ft
- Temperature: 91°F (33°C), dew point 75°F (24°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 1:55 pm from KMCZ
Weather report (METAR): KMCZ 061755Z AUTO 21006KT 10SM SCT039 33/24 A3021 RMK AO2 T03290237 10330 20245
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N8791E on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Piper PA-32 Cherokee Six, Lance and Saratoga 3,916 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,844 aircraft on the register
- Martin County · departed from
- Ocracoke Island Airport · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in North Carolina 1,759 since 1982 · 304 in the last ten years
- North Carolina 7,125 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ANC26LA080.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.