Piper PA-28-236 accident near Hatteras, North Carolina, June 21, 2003
On June 21, 2003 at about 5:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-236, registered N9234Z, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hatteras, North Carolina (Billy Mitchell Aitport airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll. A factor was a go-around not performed.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 21, 2003 · about 5:30 pm local time
- Place
- Hatteras, North Carolina · Billy Mitchell Aitport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-236 · all PA-28-236s on the register
- Registration
- N9234Z · registry record · serial 2811041
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, upon arriving at the destination airport he established a final approach to land on runway 7. The pilot described the approach as fast and high, and the airplane touched down beyond the halfway point on the 3000-foot long runway. The pilot said after the airplane bounced at touchdown, it veered 55 feet off the left side of the runway and collided with a sand dune. The pilot did not report any mechanical malfunctions with the airplane. Examination of the airplane revealed left and right wing damage and fuselage damage in the area of the left wing root. The broken nose wheel was also torn from the airframe. The pilot stated that this accident could have been prevented if he had executed a go-around before the airplane touched down on the runway.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 490 hours in all; 364 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 451 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: January 20, 2003
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,180 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 16, 2003
- Maximum gross weight: 3,011 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-J3A5D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ETC Tarboro NC
- Destination: HSE Hatteras NC
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 7, 3,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 290° at 9 knots, gusting 14
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 29.85 inHg
- Observation at 5:21 pm from MQI, 42 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ATL03LA110.