Piper PA 28-181 accident near York, Pennsylvania, November 25, 2004
On November 25, 2004 at about 12:30 pm local time, a Piper PA 28-181, registered N720GP, was substantially damaged in an accident near York, Pennsylvania (York airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate weather evaluation and his decision to depart from a rain-soaked runway with strong quartering tailwinds, which resulted in a runway overrun and collision with a fence during the aborted takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 25, 2004 · about 12:30 pm local time
- Place
- York, Pennsylvania · York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 28-181 · all PA 28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N720GP · registry record · serial 28-7790366
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was advised of heavy rain in the area of the departure airport, and he decided to delay the takeoff for 30 minutes. While he waited, the pilot was contacted by the departure controller and advised that there was a "hole" to the west, and was offered a clearance. The pilot accepted the clearance and taxied to runway 17 in light rain. During the takeoff roll, the wind increased, the rain fell harder, and the pilot struggled to maintain directional control. At 55 knots, about the midpoint of the 5,100-foot runway, the takeoff was aborted but the airplane overran the runway and struck a fence beyond the departure end. The pilot reported that there were no mechanical deficiencies with the airplane, and that the airplane hydroplaned on the large amounts of standing water on the runway. The weather reported at the airport included winds from 300 degrees at 17 knots gusting to 27 knots.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 419 hours in all; 362 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 4 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O360A4M (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: THV York PA
- Destination: RDU Raleigh/Durham NC
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 17
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 17 knots, gusting 27
- Visibility: 2.5 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 12:39 pm from THV
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.