Piper PA-28R-200 accident near West Milford, New Jersey, August 23, 2006
On August 23, 2006 at about 9:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-200, registered N4583T, was substantially damaged in an accident near West Milford, New Jersey (Greenwood Lake 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 visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's inadequate compensation for the wind conditions, which resulted in a hard landing. A factor was the wind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 23, 2006 · about 9:00 pm local time
- Place
- West Milford, New Jersey · Greenwood Lake Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-200 · all PA-28R-200s on the register
- Registration
- N4583T · registry record · serial 28R-7235099
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
During the landing flare, the pilot of the Piper PA-28R-200 reported that the airplane was "caught" by a gust of wind, while about 3 to 4 feet above the runway. The airplane impacted the runway with lateral motion that "side loaded" the landing gear and resulted in substantial damage, though the pilot did not feel the landing was particularly hard. The pilot reported that a crosswind of 10 to 15 knots was present 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: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 375 hours in all; 200 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3
The aircraft
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 4N1 West Milford NJ
- Destination: 4N1
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 3,470 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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.