Piper PA-28-140 accident near Downsville, New York, April 25, 1998
On April 25, 1998 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N3757V, was substantially damaged in an accident near Downsville, New York (Downsville airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain directional control of the airplane.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 25, 1998 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Downsville, New York · Downsville · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N3757V · no longer on the register · serial 28-26240
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, he was demonstrating high speed taxi runs to a prospective buyer. On the last taxi run, the airplane veered off the runway into high grass, traveled down an embankment and came to rest in some trees. The pilot reported that the airplane did not become airborne, and that the accident could have been prevented if he had taxied slower. A witness reported that the airplane did become airborne and was about 30 feet above the ground, at a high angle of attack, when the wings rocked back and forth. The airplane touched down hard and then veered off the runway. According to a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector, the pilot did not have a current medical certificate nor did he have a current biennial flight review. According to the airplane's maintenance records, the last annual inspection was completed 4 years prior to the accident.
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: 4,340 hours in all; 550 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (expired)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 6, 2,700 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 15 knots
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.