Piper PA-28RT-201 accident near Dunkirk, New York, August 27, 2005
On August 27, 2005 at about 1:15 am local time, a Piper PA-28RT-201, registered N8164H, was destroyed in an accident near Dunkirk, New York. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Loss of control for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 27, 2005 · about 1:15 am local time
- Place
- Dunkirk, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28RT-201 · all PA-28RT-201s on the register
- Registration
- N8164H · no longer on the register · serial 28R-8018045
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The accident airplane approached the Niagara Falls area from the south, and completed four 360-degree turns in the vicinity of the falls. The pilot then contacted air traffic control and requested VFR flight following services for the return trip. The airplane established an approximate southwesterly ground track and proceeded directly over the open waters of Lake Erie. About 4 minutes after crossing the shoreline, the airplane began to drift from its established course. The airplane turned to and away from the course before it began a 270-degree turn and disappeared from radar. During the final portion of the flight the airplane's altitude varied between 4,400 feet and 4,700 feet. Examination of visible satellite images taken just before dark revealed the presence of haze over Lake Erie, and infrared satellite images taken around the time of the accident revealed that clouds existed with tops between 5,000 and 6,000 feet. Examination of upper air data and high-resolution computer model soundings showed a possible cloud layer between 4,200 and 8,400 feet. Additionally, the sun had set more than an hour prior to the accident, and the moon did not rise until 2 1/2 hours after the accident. Toxicological testing performed on the pilot revealed levels of volatiles consistent with post-mortem ethanol production. Examination of the recovered wreckage revealed no evidence of any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions.
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: 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: 3,420 hours in all
- Last flight review: June 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,419.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 8G7 Zelienople PA
- Destination: 8G7
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 140° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.95 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.