Piper PA-28-180 accident near Cohocton, New York, June 27, 1995
On June 27, 1995 at about 1:55 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N15124, was destroyed in an accident near Cohocton, New York. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane during a turn which led to an inadvertent stall/spin. Related factors were the low ceiling, and the non-instrument rated pilot's flight into known adverse weather.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 27, 1995 · about 1:55 pm local time
- Place
- Cohocton, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N15124 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7305026
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Witnesses observed the airplane maneuvering at an estimated altitude of 1,000 to 1,500 feet above the ground. They reported that the airplane began a right turn, then entered a spin and descended into terrain. The witnesses stated that the ceiling was low and that moments after the accident it began to '...pour down rain.' Prior to the flight, the non-instrument rated private pilot received a complete weather briefing from a flight service station. During the briefing the pilot was told '...whole route for IFR conditions and mountain obscuration just about the second 2/3's of your route.' Postaccident examination of the airframe and engine did not reveal any anomalies.
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
- Flight time: 190 hours in all; 83 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 149 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,868 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 13, 1995; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ITH Ithaca NY at 1:45 pm
- Destination: ERI Erie PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 15 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,600 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:59 pm from ELM, 37 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.
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 never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.