Piper PA-28-180 accident near Melville, New York, June 1, 1997
On June 1, 1997 at about 1:13 am local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N6337J, was destroyed in an accident near Melville, New York. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain control of the airplane. Factors to this accident were night instrument meteorological conditions with low ceiling and fog.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 1, 1997 · about 1:13 am local time
- Place
- Melville, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N6337J · no longer on the register · serial 28-4746
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot took off at night without obtaining a weather brief or filing a flight plan. The weather at his destination, approximately 30 miles away, included low ceilings and fog. Once airborne, the pilot immediately requested an instrument flight rules clearance to his destination and was vectored for the ILS approach. En-route, the controller questioned the pilot concerning his altitude, and before turning on final course, the pilot requested the ILS frequency for his destination. Once on the tower frequency, the controller told the pilot that the airplane was east of the final course and the pilot concurred. Nothing was heard from the pilot until he announced that he was executing a missed approach procedure. The radar track of the airplane indicated that the airplane turned to the east and was last recorded on a northeast heading at 600 feet MSL. The airplane impacted the ground on a westerly heading. The airplane's maintenance logbooks indicated the pitot static system was not tested in the previous 24 months. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any mechanical problems with the airframe and engine.
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: 450 hours in all; 7 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,136 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 18, 1996; 97 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: BDR Bridgeport CT at 1:45 am
- Destination: FRG Farmingdale NY
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 14, 6,827 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 120° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 0.8 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 200 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 63°F (17°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:17 am from FRG, 4 miles away
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.