Piper PA-30 accident near Great Barrington, Massachusetts, April 30, 2009
On April 30, 2009 at about 5:05 pm local time, a Piper PA-30, registered N8034Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Great Barrington, Massachusetts (Walter J. Koladza 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 improper decision to land with a tailwind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 30, 2009 · about 5:05 pm local time
- Place
- Great Barrington, Massachusetts · Walter J. Koladza Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30 · all PA-30s on the register
- Registration
- N8034Y · registry record · serial 30-1143
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was flying to the accident airport to have scheduled maintenance accomplished on the airplane's cabin heater. The airplane approached Runway 29, a 2,579-foot-long, 50-foot-wide, asphalt runway. While crossing the runway threshold, the pilot felt that the "ground speed was faster" than he thought. After touching down "about one-third down" the runway, the pilot utilized maximum braking and instead of running off the end of the runway, he elected to "ground loop" the airplane. The airplane veered to the right, departed the paved portion of the runway, and slid down into a ditch approximately 20 feet from the edge of the runway, damaging the left wing spar. The pilot also reported that, after exiting the airplane, the windsock was varying; however, it appeared to be indicating a quartering tailwind. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector confirmed continuity to all control surfaces and damage to the outboard section of the wing spar. The recorded wind at an airport located about 15 miles north of the accident site, about the time of the accident, was variable at 3 knots, gusting to 19 knots.
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
- Other weather encounter during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Landing area overshoot during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Terrain › Sloped/uneven › Contributed to outcome
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Tailwind › Effect on operation
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › (general) › (general) › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 5,569 hours in all; 4,417 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 4,898 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 13, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,382 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 21, 2009
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming IO-320-C1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming IO-320-C1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HVN New Haven CT at 4:30 pm
- Destination: GBR Great Barrington MA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 29, 2,579 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 3 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.31 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from PSF, 15 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.