Piper PA-28-180 accident near Oneonta, New York, May 28, 1989
On May 28, 1989 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N6470J, was substantially damaged in an accident near Oneonta, New York (Oneonta 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 conditions the NTSB did not record.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT LOST CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT WHILE LANDING IN GUSTY WIND CONDITIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 28, 1989 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Oneonta, New York · Oneonta · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- conditions the NTSB did not record
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N6470J · registry record · serial 28-4896
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT OF THE PIPER PA-28 WAS LANDING WHEN HE ENCOUNTERED MODERATE TURBULENCE AND CROSS WINDS. THE PILOT WAS MAKING A NO FLAP LANDING, MAINTAINING A HIGH AIRSPEED AND IN A LEFT CRAB. WHEN THE MAIN GEAR TOUCHED DOWN THE AIRCRAFT SLID TO THE LEFT, THE RIGHT WING HIT THE RUNWAY AND THEN THE NOSE GEAR COLLAPSED. THE AIRCRAFT SLID ON THE RUNWAY AND CAME TO REST IN THE GRASS, ABOUT 50 FEET FROM THE END OF THE RUNWAY PAVEMENT.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,000 hours in all; 1,950 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,002 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, March 1, 1989; 2,964 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 06N Middletown NY at 2:30 pm
- Destination: N66 Oneonta NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 6, 3,400 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 20 knots, gusting 25
- Sky: not recorded; clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
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.
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.