Piper PA-28-180 accident near Berne, New York, July 25, 2011
On July 25, 2011 at about 11:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N1279T, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Berne, New York. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's continued visual flight into instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in a collision with trees and rising terrain while attempting to reverse course. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to obtain a preflight weather briefing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 25, 2011 · about 11:00 pm local time
- Place
- Berne, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N1279T · no longer on the register · serial 28-7205276
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot departed without filing a flight plan or obtaining a weather briefing. Witnesses near the accident site described hearing an airplane “low to the ground” as it approached them. They said it was in a left-wing-low attitude just prior to striking trees and disappearing from view. One witness said that the engine was “really loud” and that the airplane appeared just above the trees and just beneath the clouds that were “right on top of the trees." The airplane struck trees and rising terrain traveling opposite the intended direction of flight. The pilot of a police helicopter dispatched to the scene immediately after the accident reported that he chose to abort the mission about 1/4 mile before reaching the crash site due to weather conditions. He stated that he was unable to access a position directly over the scene due to rising terrain and low clouds. Postaccident examination of the wreckage revealed no pre-impact mechanical 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
What happened, in order
- VFR encounter with IMC during enroute defining event
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during maneuvering
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Ceiling/visibility/precip › Low ceiling › Effect on operation
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Weather planning › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 153 hours in all
- Last flight review: December 12, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,873 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 27, 2011
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: N1279T LLC
The flight
- Departed from: RME Rome NY at 10:20 pm
- Destination: 4B0 Albany NY
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 170° at 13 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 9,000 ft; a few clouds at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.78 inHg
- Observation at 10:51 pm from ALB, 12 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.