Piper PA-28-180 accident near Millville, New Jersey, September 20, 2005
On September 20, 2005 at about 7:28 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N6494J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Millville, New Jersey (Millville Municipal Airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor's improper in-flight decision to perform a emergency landing to a runway, with a tailwind, and his failure to maintain airspeed after aborting that landing, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and subsequent impact with terrain. Factors in the accident were the partial loss of engine power due to a cracked cylinder, and tailwind condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 20, 2005 · about 7:28 pm local time
- Place
- Millville, New Jersey · Millville Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N6494J · registry record · serial 28-4925
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After takeoff from runway 28, at an altitude of 600 feet msl, the pilot initiated a right turn. During the turn, the engine began to "run rough," and the engine rpm decreased to between 1,800 - 2,000 rpm. The flight instructor told the pilot to return to the airport, and the pilot set up the airplane for a downwind landing on runway 10. When the airplane was halfway down the runway, the pilots decided to perform a go-around. They applied full power, and initiated a "slight" climbing right turn above trees at the departure end of runway 28, and then a left turn to return for landing on runway 28. During the turn, the aircraft "entered an accelerated stall," and the left main landing gear impacted the ground. The airplane continued across a grass area and struck a group of trees. Examination of the engine revealed the number 3 cylinder contained a crack from the spark plug hole to a point between the cylinder intake and exhaust valve. The most recent annual inspection was performed 2 months prior to the accident, during which no abnormalities were noted with the cylinders. At the time of the accident, the wind was from 250 degrees at 7 knots. The airport consisted of two runways; runway 10/28, which was 6,002 feet long by 150 feet wide, and runway 14/32 which was 5,057 feet long by 150 feet wide.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,159 hours in all; 1,000 in this make and model
- Last flight review: May 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 625 hours in all; 16 in this make and model; 80 in the last 90 days; 40 in the last 30 days; 542 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 1, 2004
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,390 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2005; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MIV Millville NJ at 7:18 pm
- Destination: ACY Atlantic City NJ
- Flight plan: IFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,700 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 70°F (21°C)
- Altimeter: 30.01 inHg
- Observation at 6:54 pm from MIV
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.
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 NYC05LA144.