Piper PA 28-180 accident near Batavia, New York, May 19, 2016
On May 19, 2016 at about 5:20 pm local time, a 1964 Piper PA 28-180, registered N7781W, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Batavia, New York (Genesee County airport). It was an instructional 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 student pilot's failure to maintain directional control during takeoff, which resulted in a collision with runway signs.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 19, 2016 · about 5:20 pm local time
- Place
- Batavia, New York · Genesee County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 28-180, built 1964 · all PA 28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N7781W · no longer on the register · serial 28-1788
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot successfully performed two touch-and-go landings and returned to the same runway to perform a third. He reported that, after a normal touchdown, he applied engine power, and at rotation speed the airplane veered to the left. He was unable to correct with right rudder input. The airplane subsequently traveled off the side of the runway and impacted signs, which resulted in damage to both left and right wing fuel tanks. The pilot continued the takeoff, and, after becoming airborne, noted fuel streaming from the left fuel tank; the engine subsequently experienced a total loss of power. The pilot maneuvered the airplane and landed uneventfully on a road. Postacccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Neither fuel tank contained fuel, and it is likely that the loss of engine power was the result of fuel exhaustion caused by the breaches of the fuel system.
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 on ground during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
- Miscellaneous/other during takeoff
- Fuel exhaustion during takeoff
- Loss of engine power (total) during emergency descent
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 › Student/instructed pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 102.4 hours in all; 102.4 in this make and model; 65.5 in the last 90 days; 18 in the last 30 days; 29.7 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,284 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 20, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A3A (piston); 3,385 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 9G3 Akron NY at 5:00 pm
- Destination: GVQ Batavia NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 5,499 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 10,000 ft; scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 41°F (5°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from ROC, 22 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
7 documents, released by the NTSB on August 14, 2017. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of NTSB Conversation | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | FAA Inspector Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | FAA Record of Conversation | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Investigative Photographs (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.