Piper PA-24-180 accident near Bayport, New York, September 21, 1985
On September 21, 1985 at about 2:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-24-180, registered N7505P, was substantially damaged in an accident near Bayport, New York (Bayport airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 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
- September 21, 1985 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Bayport, New York · Bayport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-180 · all PA-24-180s on the register
- Registration
- N7505P · no longer on the register · serial 24-2706
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
ACCORDING TO THE CFI, THE STUDENT RAISED THE NOSE OF THE ACFT TOO EARLY DURING TAKEOFF. THIS RESULTED IN THE ACFT BECOMING AIRBORNE PREMATURELY. THE STUDENT WAS UNABLE TO CLIMB OUT OF GROUND EFFECT AND THE DECISION TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF WAS MADE. THE ACFT COLLIDED WITH TREES DURING THE ABORTED TAKEOFF. THE STUDENT PLT HAD NO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE ON GRASS RUNWAYS.
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: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 11,500 hours in all; 200 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,496 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, April 26, 1985; 70 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: FRG Farmingdale NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,740 ft by 120 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 15,000 ft; not recorded at 15,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 2:00 pm from ISP, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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.