Piper PA-28R-180 accident near Eliot, Maine, August 17, 2004
On August 17, 2004 at about 5:50 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-180, registered N4631J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Eliot, Maine (Littlebrook Airpark 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 pilot's failure to maintain airspeed above stall which resulted in a hard landing and collapse of the landing gear. Also causal was the flight instructor's inadequate supervision.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 17, 2004 · about 5:50 pm local time
- Place
- Eliot, Maine · Littlebrook Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-180 · all PA-28R-180s on the register
- Registration
- N4631J · registry record · serial 28R-30518
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While turning to align with the runway during a simulated forced landing, the airplane overshot the runway, and the turn was continued to the right to come back to the landing surface. The flight instructor and the pilot each reported that about 6 feet above the runway, the airplane "stalled", "plummeted", and experienced a hard landing. The airplane shook during the landing roll, then veered right and departed the landing surface. The landing gear collapsed, the airplane came to rest, and the instructor and pilot egressed the airplane. When asked if they experienced any problems with the performance or handling of the airplane, each said no.
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
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
- Flight time: 2,269 hours in all; 250 in this make and model; 240 in the last 90 days; 80 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: April 20, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 890 hours in all; 100 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 9 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 16, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,906 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 17, 2004; 52 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Stafford Flying Club, Inc
The flight
- Departed from: SFM Sanford ME at 5:30 pm
- Destination: 3B4 Eliot ME
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 2,701 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 4,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.07 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from PSM, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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.
Other NTSB records under N4631J the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.