Piper PA-32-300 accident near Red Hook, New York, March 28, 1998
On March 28, 1998 at about 5:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-32-300, registered N31699, was substantially damaged in an accident near Red Hook, New York (Sky Park airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
inadequate compensation for the crosswind by the pilot, and his failure to maintain directional control during the landing. Related factors were: the gusty crosswind condition, and high vegetation that was encountered after departing the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 28, 1998 · about 5:15 pm local time
- Place
- Red Hook, New York · Sky Park · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-32-300 · all PA-32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N31699 · registry record · serial 32-7840142
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported he was landing on runway 19 with winds variable from the south and west at 10 knots and wind gusts to 25 knots. During the landing, the main landing gear touched down, and before the nosewheel touched down, a strong wind gust from the southwest lifted the airplane and right wing. The pilot lost directional control, and the airplane veered off the left side of the runway onto a wet, slippery wooded area. The pilot reported that there was no mechanical malfunction with the airplane.
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: 799 hours in all; 589 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,103 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 27, 1998; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-K-1G5D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 46N at 4:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 2,700 ft by 30 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 20,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:45 pm from POU, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
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 N31699 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.