Piper PA 28-140 accident near Perry, New York, October 31, 2015
On October 31, 2015 at about 7:30 pm local time, a 1968 Piper PA 28-140, registered N6665J, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Perry, New York (Perry-Warsaw 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The student pilot's failure to maintain vigilance, which resulted in a loss of directional control during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 31, 2015 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Perry, New York · Perry-Warsaw · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 28-140 140, built 1968 · all PA 28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N6665J · no longer on the register · serial 28-24350
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that during the landing roll he heard something fall in the back seat. He looked back; when he looked forward again the airplane had veered to the right. The student pilot attempted to correct with the rudder, but reported that he "overcorrected" to the left and then to the right, and then "hammered" on the brakes. Subsequently the airplane skid off the runway to the right and impacted a ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine 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
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing
- Runway excursion during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Task monitoring/vigilance › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 64 hours in all; 43 in this make and model; 15 in the last 90 days; 5 in the last 30 days; 45 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,932.9 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 12, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 2,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 4,400 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DSV Dansville NY at 7:00 pm
- Destination: 01G Perry NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 2,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 11,000 ft
- Temperature: 52°F (11°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 7:54 pm from KDSV, 18 miles away
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.
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.