Piper PA-28-161 accident near Babylon, New York, September 6, 2005
On September 6, 2005 at about 9:25 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N8270M, was substantially damaged in an accident near Babylon, New York. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
A broken piston and exhaust valve tappet which resulted in a total loss of engine power, and a forced landing to unsuitable terrain. A contributing factor was the failure of the operator to overhaul the engine at the manufacturer's recommended interval.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 6, 2005 · about 9:25 pm local time
- Place
- Babylon, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N8270M · no longer on the register · serial 28-8116045
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot leveled the airplane after takeoff, and encountered "a lot of roughness in the engine." The engine rpm fluctuated greatly, the entire airframe vibrated, and the windscreen became covered in oil. The pilot declared an emergency and attempted a return to the departure airport. The engine power continued to decrease, and the airplane could not maintain altitude, so the pilot selected a parking lot for landing. During the landing, the airplane cleared a vehicle in its path, touched down, overran the lot, and collided with two rows of bushes before it came to rest against a sand dune. Examination of the airplane revealed holes in the engine case in the area of the No. 1 exhaust tappet and the No. 3 exhaust tappet. Partial disassembly revealed that the No. 3 piston "split in half" at the oil control ring/piston ring journal, and the No. 1 exhaust valve tappet was broken. Maintenance records revealed that the engine had accumulated 771 hours beyond the manufacturer's recommended 2,000-hour time between overhaul.
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
- Flight time: 57 hours in all; 57 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 17 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,539 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 1, 2005; 74 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FRG Farmingdale NY at 9:11 pm
- Destination: FRG
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.39 inHg
- Observation at 9:53 pm from FRG
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.