Piper PA-30 accident near Highgate, Vermont, June 22, 2007
On June 22, 2007 at about 10:48 pm local time, a Piper PA-30, registered N8078Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Highgate, Vermont. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed on approach resulting in the stall and subsequent impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 22, 2007 · about 10:48 pm local time
- Place
- Highgate, Vermont · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30 · all PA-30s on the register
- Registration
- N8078Y · no longer on the register · serial 30-1192
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said he was on final approach for landing when he allowed the airplane to get slow. The airplane stalled less than 10 feet above the runway. The airplane dropped, impacted on the runway, and went off the left side. The right wing caught in the turf, the landing gear broke off, the airplane "cartwheeled," and then slid about 75 feet before coming to a stop.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,525 hours in all; 900 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4BO South Albany NY at 8:59 am
- Destination: FSO Highgate VT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.
