Piper PA-24-260 accident near Burnsville, North Carolina, July 27, 1997
On July 27, 1997 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-24-260, registered N9396P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Burnsville, North Carolina (Mountain Air Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The failure of the pilot to use the checklist to confirm that the main cabin door was closed and locked before takeoff. Also, failure of the pilot to attain the proper touchdown point during the precautionary landing. Contributing to the accident was the self induced pressure by the pilot.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 27, 1997 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Burnsville, North Carolina · Mountain Air Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-260 · all PA-24-260s on the register
- Registration
- N9396P · registry record · serial 24-4899
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
Before takeoff the pilot failed to verify that the main cabin door was closed and latched. After takeoff the door opened and he maneuvered the airplane to land in the opposite direction than for takeoff. He stated that he became distracted due to the perceived emergency and landed about 6 feet short of the runway on upsloping terrain. The left main landing gear then separated from the airplane which bounced onto then off the runway into a 25-foot deep ravine where the airplane came to rest upright.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 1,190 hours in all; 125 in this make and model; 29 in the last 90 days; 22 in the last 30 days; 1,025 as pilot in command; 51 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,187 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 10, 1997; 33 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-N1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 2NC0 at 6:28 pm
- Destination: UMP Indianapolis IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 2,900 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 010° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 73°F (23°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:54 pm from AVL, 27 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 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.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number MIA97LA218.