Piper PA-30 accident near Anderson, South Carolina, March 21, 2025
On March 21, 2025 at about 3:30 pm local time, a 1967 Piper PA-30, registered N8339Y, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Anderson, South Carolina (Anderson Rgnl 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
The pilots’ overcorrection during the landing roll which resulted in a loss of directional control and runway excursion. Contributing was the flight instructor’s inability to correct the pilot’s actions because due to brakes only being installed on the pilot’s side.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 21, 2025 · about 3:30 pm local time
- Place
- Anderson, South Carolina · Anderson Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-30, built 1967 · all PA-30s on the register
- Registration
- N8339Y · registry record · serial 30-1485
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and the commercial pilot, who was undergoing multiengine instruction, departed the airport traffic pattern and conducted flight maneuvers for about 30 minutes on their way to the destination airport where they planned to conduct some practice landings. During final approach, the instructor reported the pilot was maintaining a stabilized approach with a nominal descent rate and airspeed. Upon reaching the runway as they entered the flare and the airplane was in ground effect, the flight instructor stated, “power idle" and the pilot pulled the throttles back. The airplane touched down firmly on the centerline, then immediately began yawing to the left. The pilot attempted to correct, and the instructor told the pilot to stop “dancing” on the pedals, but the pilot overcorrected, and the airplane went in the opposing direction and off the right side of the runway through the grass and across a taxiway before coming to rest. During the impact, the landing gear collapsed, and the wings sustained substantial damage. The flight instructor stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation, further stating that she should have reacted sooner when she observed the beginning of the loss of control. However, the airplane was only equipped with brakes on the pilot’s (left) side, which limited the flight instructor’s ability to correct the pilot’s actions.
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 (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (flare/touchdown)
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 › Student/instructed pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Brake › Not installed/available
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,323 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 167 in the last 90 days; 65 in the last 30 days; 1,240 as pilot in command; 878 on instruments
- Last flight review: January 6, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 326 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 218 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 27, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,563 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 21, 2025; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,725 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Lycoming IO-320-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming IO-320-B1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GMU Greenville SC at 2:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 6,002 ft by 149 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 10:56 am from AND
Weather report (METAR): KAND 211456Z AUTO 10SM CLR 08/M06 A3015 RMK AO2 SLP209 T00831056 53020
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
5 documents, released by the NTSB on May 9, 2025. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Flight Instructor's Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Pilot Receiving Instruction Statement | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Record of Conversation_flight Instructor | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Photo Array_accident Site and Damage | 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.
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 ERA25LA153.