Piper PA-32R-300 accident near White Plains, New York, September 23, 2025
On September 23, 2025 at about 1:00 am local time, a 1977 Piper PA-32R-300, registered N47630, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near White Plains, New York (Westchester County airport). It was a personal 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 pilot’s failure to maintain proper glidepath during a night visual approach, which resulted in a collision with the runway lighting system. Contributing to the outcome was the pilot’s momentary disorientation due to glare from the runway approach lighting system.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 23, 2025 · about 1:00 am local time · cases in 2025
- Place
- White Plains, New York · Westchester County · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32R-300, built 1977 · all PA-32R-300s on the register
- Registration
- N47630 · registry record · serial 32R-7880016
- 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 airplane in night visual meteorological conditions. The pilot reported that during the turn to final approach, the tower air traffic controller cleared a large transport-category airplane for departure. To avoid potential wake turbulence, the pilot adjusted the planned touchdown point to be before the expected rotation point of the departing airplane. While reconfiguring for the new touchdown point, the pilot encountered glare from the runway approach lighting system, which temporarily degraded his night vision and momentary disoriented him. The airplane then began to sink and as the pilot was making corrective control inputs he felt a “bump,” after which he landed uneventfully. Subsequent examination of the runway’s approach lighting system and the airplane revealed that the airplane had struck the runway lighting system before touchdown, resulting in substantial damage to the root sections of both wings and the right side of the stabilator. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of 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
- Landing area undershoot during landing defining event
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during approach (VFR pattern final)
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Glare › Effect on personnel
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Runway/taxi/approach light › Awareness of condition
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,165 hours in all; 2,532 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 3,108 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 30, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 2025; 29 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,600 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-KIG5D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MVY West Tisbury MA at 11:50 pm
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 16, 6,549 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 149°F (65°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 8:45 pm from HPN
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 4 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – Left wing leading edge.
Photograph 2 – View of damaged right horizontal stabilizer.
Photograph 3 – View of right-wing leading-edge damage.
Photograph 4 – View of the damaged Medium Intensity Approach Lighting System (MALSR)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
3 documents, released by the NTSB on December 18, 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 | Memorandum for Record - FAA Inspector Correspondence | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 5 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N47630 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Piper PA-32 Cherokee Six, Lance and Saratoga 3,916 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,842 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-KIG5D 4,222 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Westchester County · nearest airport
- Martha'S Vineyard Airport · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in New York 1,964 since 1982 · 249 in the last ten years
- New York 6,663 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA25LA363.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.