Piper PA28 accident near New Market, Virginia, July 19, 2017
On July 19, 2017 at about 8:45 pm local time, a 1974 Piper PA28, registered N55EM, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near New Market, Virginia (New Market 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 airplane’s collision with a deer 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
- July 19, 2017 · about 8:45 pm local time
- Place
- New Market, Virginia · New Market · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 151, built 1974 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N55EM · registry record · serial 28-7415328
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the airplane reported that, during the landing roll, two deer ran onto the runway and that one impacted the airplane's left side. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The Federal Aviation Administration Chart Supplement airport page for the destination airport, in part, stated: "Deer and birds on and [in the vicinity of the runway]."
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
- Miscellaneous/other during landing defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Ability to respond/compensate
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot, military
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 3,400 hours in all; 350 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 2,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 9, 2017
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 15,010 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 21, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 2,225 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: VG18 Basye VA at 8:35 pm
- Destination: 8W2 New Market VA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 2,920 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,500 ft
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 8:55 pm from KLUA, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on September 20, 2017. 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 | Accident Photo (Courtesy of FAA) | PDF, 1 page | 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.