Piper PA-28-181 accident near Millbrook, New York, February 17, 2007
On February 17, 2007 at about 3:47 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-181, registered N47480, was substantially damaged in an accident near Millbrook, New York (Sky Acres Airport). It was a personal 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 pilot's failure to maintain a proper glidepath to the runway.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 17, 2007 · about 3:47 pm local time
- Place
- Millbrook, New York · Sky Acres Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-181 · all PA-28-181s on the register
- Registration
- N47480 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7890078
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that "the airplane was performing really good" throughout the flight and as he entered the traffic pattern for landing at the destination airport. The pilot perceived that he was "high" on final approach, and slipped the airplane to increase the descent rate. On short final, the airplane was "low" and struck a snowbank that crossed the approach end of the runway, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane. Upon striking the snowbank, the pilot aborted the landing and diverted safely to a nearby airport staffed with crash, fire, and rescue personnel.
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: 82 hours in all; 28 in this make and model; 10 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: July 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,705 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ABE Allentown PA
- Destination: POU Poughkeepsie NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 17, 3,828 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
Other NTSB records under N47480 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.