Piper PA32-300 accident near Chatham, Massachusetts, August 16, 2002
On August 16, 2002 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Piper PA32-300, registered N20787, was substantially damaged in an accident near Chatham, Massachusetts (Chatham Muni 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 instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper in-flight decision to continue the landing after losing visual contact with the runway, which resulted in his failure to obtain the proper touchdown point, and the subsequent overrun. Factors in this accident were the clouds and low ceiling.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 2002 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Chatham, Massachusetts · Chatham Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA32-300 · all PA32-300s on the register
- Registration
- N20787 · registry record · serial 32-7840181
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot performed a instrument approach to runway 6, a 3,001 foot-long, asphalt runway. He was in and out of clouds, but maintained visual contact with the runway. When the airplane was about 600 feet over the approach end of runway 6, he began a left turn and entered the traffic pattern for runway 24. While on final approach, at an altitude of about 300 feet, the pilot lost visual contact with the runway. The pilot said he was "too low and slow to do a missed approach and attempted to land." The airplane touched down "too far down" the runway and the pilot was unable to stop before the airplane departed the end of the runway, traveled down an embankment, and collided with trees. The weather reported at the airport, near the time of the accident included: winds from 200 degrees at 12 knots, with 18 knot gusts; 10 miles visibility; and an overcast ceiling at 500 feet.
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, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,280 hours in all; 900 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 1,800 as pilot in command; 1,800 on instruments
- Last flight review: March 22, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,950 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2001; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,400 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming IO540-K1G5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: HFD Hartford CT at 3:30 pm
- Destination: CQX Chatham MA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 24, 3,001 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 12 knots, gusting 18
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 500 ft
- Temperature: 77°F (25°C), dew point 450°F (232°C)
- Altimeter: 30.11 inHg
- Observation at 4:52 pm from CQX
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.
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.