Piper PA-32-260 accident near Hudson, New York, February 20, 1993
On February 20, 1993 at about 1:00 am local time, a Piper PA-32-260, registered N999HF, was substantially damaged in an accident near Hudson, New York (Columbia County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 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
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL, WHICH RESULTED IN AN ADVERTENT GROUND SWERVE. THE SNOWBANK WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 20, 1993 · about 1:00 am local time
- Place
- Hudson, New York · Columbia County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-260 · all PA-32-260s on the register
- Registration
- N999HF · registry record · serial 32-663
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
IT WAS A DARK NIGHT WHEN THE PILOT TOUCHED DOWN ON RUNWAY 3. HE STATED THAT HE TOUCHED DOWN ON THE CENTERLINE, AND HE APPLIED THE BRAKES AS THE AIRPLANES' SPEED DECREASED. A FEW SECONDS LATER HE SAID THAT THE AIRPLANE BEGAN TO SWERVE, SO HE STOPPED ALL BRAKING FOR A MOMENT THEN HE REAPPLIED THE BRAKES WITH MORE PRESSURE IN THE RIGHT BRAKE AND RUDDER, AS THE LEFT MAIN GEAR WAS ON A ROUGH ICY AREA OFF THE LEFT SIDE OF THE RUNWAY. HE STATED THAT THE AIRPLANE STRAIGHTENED OUT AND WAS STARTING TO VEER TOWARDS THE CENTERLINE; HOWEVER, THE LEFT WING STRUCK A SNOWBANK ON THE LEFT SIDE, AND THE AIRPLANE SPUN TO THE LEFT INTO A PILE OF SNOW COLLAPSING THE LEFT MAIN GEAR AND SUBSEQUENTLY THE NOSE GEAR. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THERE WAS NO MECHANICAL MALFUNCTION.
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: 1,192 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 1,172 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,174 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 19, 1992; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-04B5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 44N Millbrook NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 3, 5,001 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 270° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 12°F (-11°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 BFO93LA031.