Piper Aircraft INC PA-28-181 accident near Tiffin, Ohio, May 8, 2025
On May 8, 2025, a 2018 Piper Aircraft INC PA-28-181, registered N335BG, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Tiffin, Ohio (Seneca 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
The airplane’s collision with a deer on the runway during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 8, 2025
- Place
- Tiffin, Ohio · Seneca County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper Aircraft INC PA-28-181, built 2018
- Registration
- N335BG · registry record · serial 2881085
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor reported that the purpose of the flight was for her student to practice an instrument approach procedure under visual flight rules. After completion of the approach and during the landing roll at dusk, she instructed the student to retract the flaps and apply full power for a touch-and-go. As the airplane accelerated during the takeoff roll, a deer appeared from their right and impacted the airplane. The flight crew aborted the takeoff and brought the airplane to a stop. The underside of the fuselage was substantially damaged as a result of the collision. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Wildlife encounter (non-bird) during takeoff defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Effect on equipment
Flight instructor
- 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; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 536.2 hours in all; 366.5 in this make and model; 70.4 in the last 90 days; 11.4 in the last 30 days; 422.1 as pilot in command; 198.7 on instruments
- Last flight review: November 7, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 120.2 hours in all; 33.6 in this make and model; 36.4 in the last 90 days; 9.8 in the last 30 days; 72.4 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 15, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,521.2 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, May 5, 2025; 7.3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-B4A (piston); 4,353 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 1G0 Bowling Green OH at 11:55 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 8:53 pm from FDY, 21 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KFDY 080053Z AUTO 07004KT 10SM CLR 19/12 A3004 RMK AO2 SLP166 T01940122
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Photographs from the investigation 1 picture from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on November 6, 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 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 2 pages · our copy | 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.