Piper PA28 accident near Poughkeepsie, New York, June 24, 2016
On June 24, 2016 at about 3:30 pm local time, a 1978 Piper PA28, registered N3024C, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (from runway) near Poughkeepsie, New York (Dutchess County Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An overstress failure of the left main landing gear attachment bolts, which resulted in the left main landing gear collapse.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 24, 2016 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Poughkeepsie, New York · Dutchess County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 181, built 1978 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N3024C · registry record · serial 28-7990149
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor stated that, while taxiing after landing from the instructional flight, the airplane started to veer to the left, and he heard a "metallic sound." Shortly after, the left main landing gear collapsed, and the airplane came to a stop. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the left main landing gear strut separated from the wing attachment; the bolts attaching the landing gear to the spar were sheared in the vicinity of the bolt threads. The fracture features of the bolts displayed signatures of overstress failure. It could not be determined whether the overstress fracture of the bolts occurred during the accident flight or during a previous unreported event.
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
- Landing gear collapse during taxi (from runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft structures › Wing structure › Landing gear (fitting on wing) › Failure
Flight instructor
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,862 hours in all; 3,500 in this make and model; 119 in the last 90 days; 42 in the last 30 days; 7,500 as pilot in command; 5,389 on instruments
- Last flight review: June 9, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 23 hours in all; 19 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,212.5 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 12, 2016; 98 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4M (piston); 2,339 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: POU Poughkeepsie NY at 3:05 pm
- Destination: POU Poughkeepsie NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 2,744 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 48°F (9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from POU
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on November 4, 2019. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Inspector's Statement (Summary of Email Correspondence) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photos | PDF, 4 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.