Piper PA28-151 accident near Dover, Delaware, March 20, 2009
On March 20, 2009 at about 6:40 pm local time, a Piper PA28-151, registered N41568, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Dover, Delaware (Delaware Airpark 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 20, 2009 · about 6:40 pm local time
- Place
- Dover, Delaware · Delaware Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident · collision on the ground
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28-151 · all PA28-151s on the register
- Registration
- N41568 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7415274
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot conducted one landing on runway 27, but he "did not like it" because it was "gusty," so he opted to conduct a second landing. The pilot stated that as the airplane was "nearing touchdown," it unexpectedly began a turn to the left. The airplane first touched down approximately 75 feet left of the edge of the runway. It continued on a southerly arc away from the runway, passed through an aircraft tie-down area, and struck two parked airplanes. The accident airplane's right wing separated from the fuselage at the wing root, and the airplane came to rest approximately 346 feet from the centerline of the runway. Runway 27 was 3,582 feet long and 60 feet wide, with a displaced threshold of 350 feet. The only wind information available at the accident airport was a wind sock. About the time of the accident, winds at an airport 9 miles southeast of the airport were reported to be from 330 degrees at 12 knots, with gusts to 18 knots. Calculations revealed that if these winds were present at the accident airport, they would have resulted in crosswind components from 11.7 to 17.5 knots. A required cockpit placard in the airplane stated that the "demonstrated crosswind component" was 17 knots. The pilot reported that he obtained his weather information from commercial television and radio stations. He did not report experiencing any mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane during the accident landing.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during landing defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Ground collision during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Ability to respond/compensate
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 181 hours in all; 39 in this make and model; 147 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 8, 2007
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,557 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, October 12, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Phill-Air INC
The flight
- Departed from: 33N Dover DE at 6:35 pm
- Destination: 33N Dover DE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 27, 3,582 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 12 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 5,500 ft; ovct at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Observation at 6:00 pm from DOV, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight 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.
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.