Piper PA-24-260 accident near Niagara Falls, New York, September 26, 1993
On September 26, 1993 at about 8:58 pm local time, a Piper PA-24-260, registered N8992P, was involved in an accident near Niagara Falls, New York (Niagara Falls Intl airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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 FOLLOW STARTING PROCEDURES AND HIS INADEQUATE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION BY NOT REMOVING THE WHEEL CHOCKS AND THE PASSENGER NOT MAINTAINING CLEARANCE FROM THE PROPELLER.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 26, 1993 · about 8:58 pm local time
- Place
- Niagara Falls, New York · Niagara Falls Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-260 · all PA-24-260s on the register
- Registration
- N8992P · registry record · serial 24-4453
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT HE HAD COMPLETED HIS PREFLIGHT INSPECTION, AND RETURNED TO THE OFFICE TO PAY HIS TIE-DOWN FEES FOR THE THREE DAYS. ON HIS RETURN, HE STATED THAT HE STARTED THE ENGINE, CONTACTED GROUND CONTROL FOR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS, BUT WAS UNABLE TO TAXI AS THE NOSEWHEEL CHOCK WAS STILL IN PLACE. HIS WIFE, A NON-PILOT, VOLUNTEERED TO REMOVE THE CHOCK. HE STATED THAT SHE EXITED THE AIRPLANE TO THE RIGHT AND WALKED IN FRONT OF THE RIGHT WING WHERE SHE TRIED TO REMOVE THE CHOCK FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE NOSE GEAR AFT OF THE PROPELLER. SHE WAS STRUCK BY THE PROPELLER. THE PILOT STATED THAT HE HEARD AND FELT A SLIGHT THUD IN THE VICINITY OF THE PROPELLER, SO HE SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN AND EXITED THE AIRPLANE.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,357 hours in all; 293 in this make and model; 22 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 1,294 as pilot in command; 403 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,529 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 21, 1992; 175 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-D4A5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: L & L Aviation INC.
The flight
- Destination: W54 Westminster MD
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 24, 3,973 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 18 knots, gusting 24
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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 BFO93LA186.