Piper PA-34 accident near Teteboro, New Jersey, October 4, 1998
On October 4, 1998 at about 10:04 pm local time, a Piper PA-34, registered N1025U, was substantially damaged in an accident near Teteboro, New Jersey (Teterboro Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
the collapse of the landing gear due to a bent gear locking mechanism for undetermined reasons.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 4, 1998 · about 10:04 pm local time
- Place
- Teteboro, New Jersey · Teterboro Airport
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34 · all PA-34s on the register
- Registration
- N1025U · no longer on the register · serial 34-7250005
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane landed on the runway at the completion of a training flight. During the landing roll the nose gear collapsed. The airplane lost directional control, departed the left side of the runway, and collided with signs before coming to rest in the grass. Examination of the wreckage by an FAA Inspector revealed damage to the bungee assembly of the down lock link assembly, which did not allow the overcenter link to lock the gear down. In a written statement, the Inspector said,...'Bungee [assembly]...failed at rod end...not allowing overcenter link to lock gear down. This was due to possible hard landing prior to this flight bending bungee rod [assembly].'
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot, flight engineer
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,250 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 150 in the last 90 days; 50 in the last 30 days; 2,136 as pilot in command; 1,200 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,415 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, August 12, 1998; 60 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-CIE6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TEB at 9:45 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 1, 3,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 6,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 55°F (13°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:51 pm from TEB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.