Piper PA-24-260 accident near New Bedford, Massachusetts, August 19, 2002
On August 19, 2002 at about 5:20 pm local time, a Piper PA-24-260, registered N9030P, was substantially damaged in an accident near New Bedford, Massachusetts (New Bedford Regional 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilots failure to obtain the proper touchdown point, and the CFI's delay in remedial action.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 19, 2002 · about 5:20 pm local time
- Place
- New Bedford, Massachusetts · New Bedford Regional · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-260 · all PA-24-260s on the register
- Registration
- N9030P · registry record · serial 24-4492
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was instructed by the certified flight instructor (CFI) to perform a short field landing. While on final approach to the runway, the airplane was slowed "close to stall." When it appeared that the airplane was not going to make the runway, the CFI advised the pilot to add power. Unable to recover from the descent with power, the airplane touched down in a grassy area 15 feet prior to the runway threshold. The airplane continued onto the runway, where the nose landing gear sheared from the fuselage, and the main landing gear collapsed.
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
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 300 hours in all; 0 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 1
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,332 hours in all; 597 in this make and model; 1 in the last 90 days; 1 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 19, 2002
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,125 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 24, 2002; 1 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O540-E4A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: EWB New Bedford MA at 3:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 5,000 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from EWB
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 |
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 docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site 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 NYC02LA170.