Piper PA-32-260 accident near Block Island, Rhode Island, March 25, 2026
On March 25, 2026 at about 8:51 pm local time, a 1971 Piper PA-32-260, registered N7081H, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Block Island, Rhode Island (Block Island State airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Maintenance personnel’s failure to ensure that the throttle cable was properly secured to the carburetor, which resulted an inflight separation of the throttle cable and the pilots’ inability to control the engine.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 25, 2026 · about 8:51 pm local time · cases in 2026
- Place
- Block Island, Rhode Island · Block Island State · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-260, built 1971 · all PA-32-260s on the register
- Registration
- N7081H · registry record · serial 32-7100028
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilots reported that they were unable to change engine power via the throttle while attempting to land, which resulted in an off-airport landing. During the landing the airplane’s left wing was substantially damaged. One of the pilots described that this was the second flight of the airplane after it had undergone extensive maintenance, which included installing a newly overhauled engine and an annual inspection. Postaccident examination of the engine found the hardware used to connect the throttle cable to the carburetor was missing. A review of maintenance records revealed that the throttle control was rigged during the annual inspection. The mechanic who signed off the annual inspection said that he and several other mechanics had conducted extensive maintenance on the airplane, and they had most likely forgotten to install the cotter pin that would have secured the throttle cable to the carburetor. Given this information, it is likely that the throttle cable detached from the carburetor during the flight, which resulted in the the pilots being unable to control engine power, and the subsequent off airport landing.
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
- Powerplant sys/comp malf/fail during landing defining event
- Off-field or emergency landing during emergency descent
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Maintenance › Installation › Maintenance personnel
- Aircraft › Aircraft power plant › Engine fuel and control › Fuel control/carburetor › Inadequate inspection other cases naming the engine
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,820 hours in all; 73 in this make and model; 156 in the last 90 days; 47 in the last 30 days; 2,654 as pilot in command; 1,116 on instruments
- Last flight review: February 10, 2026
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 215 hours in all; 113 in this make and model; 2 in the last 90 days; 131 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 30, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,340.3 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 17, 2026; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-E4B5 (piston); 2 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CQX Chatham MA at 8:04 pm
- Destination: BID Block Island RI
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 30°F (-1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.33 inHg
- Observation at 4:00 pm from KBID, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KBID 251956Z AUTO 20010KT 10SM CLR 06/M01 A3033 RMK AO2 SLP272 T00561011 PNO $
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Photographs from the investigation 3 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – (Left Side View of Airplane Looking Forward
Photograph 2 – Front Left View of Airplane in Turnip Field
Photograph 3 – Throttle Cable to Carburetor – Missing HardwareThe 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
6 documents, released by the NTSB on June 22, 2026. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Investigation Photos | PDF, 4 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 3 | Written Statement - FAA Inspector | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | NTSB Mor - Mechanic Final | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Written Statement - Mechanic | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 6 | Engine Maintenance Records - Last Annual | PDF, 2 pages | 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
- N7081H 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 44,840 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-E4B5 21 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Block Island State Airport · nearest airport
- Chatham Municipal · departed from
- Accidents and incidents in Rhode Island 166 since 1982 · 17 in the last ten years
- Rhode Island 361 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA26LA151.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.