Piper PA-17 accident near Millbrook, New York, August 21, 2023
On August 21, 2023 at about 1:55 pm local time, a 1948 Piper PA-17, registered N4814H, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Millbrook, New York (Sky Acres 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during landing, which resulted in a ground loop.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 21, 2023 · about 1:55 pm local time
- Place
- Millbrook, New York · Sky Acres · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-17, built 1948 · all PA-17s on the register
- Registration
- N4814H · registry record · serial 17-112
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was landing the vintage, tailwheel-equipped airplane. As he touched down on the paved runway that had slight downhill, the pilot described that he “tapped” the brakes, and the right brake “grabbed a little harder than the left.” The pilot attempted to correct with rudder but the airplane ground looped after the right main landing gear separated from the fuselage. The airplane came to rest in the grass area next to the runway. During the accident sequence, the left wing and fuselage were substantially damaged. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector examined the airplane after the accident did not observe any abnormalities of the airplane’s brakes. Based on the lack of any anomalous findings during the postaccident examination of the brakes, it is likely that the pilot lost directional control of the tailwheel-equipped during landing, which resulted in a ground loop.
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 landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: sport pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 486 hours in all; 74 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 330 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 11, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,474 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 4, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 1,150 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-8 (piston); 871 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: POU Poughkeepsie NY at 12:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 3,828 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 9,000 ft
- Temperature: 75°F (24°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 am from POU, 8 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KPOU 211353Z 00000KT 10SM SCT090 24/18 A3006 RMK AO2 SLP176 T02390183=
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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA23LA343.