Piper PA-28-161 accident near Miamisburg, Ohio, June 2, 2000
On June 2, 2000 at about 1:45 am local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N8234L, was substantially damaged in an accident near Miamisburg, Ohio (Dayton Wright Brothers 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 CFI's delayed remedial action.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 2, 2000 · about 1:45 am local time
- Place
- Miamisburg, Ohio · Dayton Wright Brothers · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N8234L · no longer on the register · serial 28-8016393
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While landing, during the student pilot's first night flight, the CFI noticed that the visual approach slope indicator (VASI) was 'red over red.' The CFI then heard the engine power begin to increase and assumed that the student was correcting to get back on glide path. Realizing that the student was not adding enough power to correct, the CFI reached for the throttle. The airplane then impacted lighting stanchions located at the approach end of the runway, and came to rest in a grass area. The CFI stated that he was unfamiliar with the fact that there were approach lighting stanchions at the approach end of the runway, and that they were not illuminated at the time of 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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,826 hours in all; 2,394 in this make and model; 45 in the last 90 days; 26 in the last 30 days; 5,900 as pilot in command; 2,350 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,302 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 25, 2000; 100 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,335 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FF0 Wpafb OH at 1:00 am
- Destination: MGY Miamisburg OH
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 2, 5,000 ft by 100 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 200° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 am from MGY
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.