Piper PA-23-250 accident near Pittsfield, Massachusetts, June 29, 1983
On June 29, 1983 at about 9:05 pm local time, a Piper PA-23-250, registered N6638Y, was substantially damaged in an accident near Pittsfield, Massachusetts (Pittsfield). 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 29, 1983 · about 9:05 pm local time
- Place
- Pittsfield, Massachusetts · Pittsfield
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-250 · all PA-23-250s on the register
- Registration
- N6638Y · no longer on the register · serial 273950
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ON THE 1ST TAKEOFF, THE CFI DEMONSTRATED AN ABORTED TAKEOFF BY PLACING THE RT SELECTOR GASOLINE VALVE IN THE OFF POSITION AND HAD THE STUDENT PULL THE ENG BACK, MAKING A LANDING ON THE RWY. THE FLT THEN TAXIED BACK FOR ANOTHER TAKEOFF, AGAIN THE CFI SHUT OFF THE RT GAS TANK, THE ACFT BECAME AIRBORNE AND THE ENG QUIT. THE STUDENT HAD RETRACTED THE LANDING GEAR DURING THE SEQUENCE AND THE ACFT LANDED GEAR-UP.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine
- Flight time: 2,103 hours in all; 447 in this make and model; 1,843 as pilot in command; 11 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,092 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 25, 1983; 52 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540LB (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: GBR Great Barringtn MA
- Destination: PSF Pittsfield MA
- Flight plan: not recorded
- Runway 20, 3,500 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 8:00 pm from PSF
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.
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.