Piper PA-24-260 accident near Eliot, Maine, September 23, 1990
On September 23, 1990 at about 6:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-24-260, registered N8664P, was destroyed in an accident near Eliot, Maine (Littlebrook airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 4 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S FAILURE TO ABORT THE TAKEOFF. FACTORS WERE THE OVER WEIGHT CONDITION, UPSLOPING RUNWAY, PREMATURE ROTATION, AND THE PILOT'S LACK OF EXPERIENCE IN TYPE AIRCRAFT AND GENERAL AVIATION OPERATIONS.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 23, 1990 · about 6:15 pm local time
- Place
- Eliot, Maine · Littlebrook
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-260 · all PA-24-260s on the register
- Registration
- N8664P · no longer on the register · serial 24-4111
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE WA APPROXIMATELY 48 POUNDS OVER MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT AND RUNWAY UPSLOPE WAS ABOUT 1/2 DEGREE. TAKEOFF GROUND ROLL FOR 0 AND 1 DEGREE UP WAS 1,075 AND 1,214 FT RESPECTIVELY. WITNESSES OBSERVED INITIAL ROTATION ATTEMPTED AFTER APPROX 800 FT OF ROLL. THEY ALSO REPORTED THAT THE NOSE ROSE OFF OF AND WENT BACK DOWN TO THE RUNWAY 2 OR 3 TIMES BEFORE THE AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE AT THE END. TERRAIN DESCENDED AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY AND THE AIRPLANE ROUGHLY DESCENDED PARALLEL TO THAT DOWNSLOPE IN GROUND EFFECT TO INITIAL TREE IMPACT 390 FEET LATER AT 10 FT AGL. THE AIRPLANE CAME TO REST AND WAS CONSUMED BY FIRE 561 FT FROM RUNWAY END. ALTHOUGH WITNESSES FELT ENGINE PERFORMANCE AND ACCELERATION WERE NOT OPTIMUM, NO DISCREPANCIES WERE DISCOVERED. MOST OF THE PILOT'S EXPERIENCE WAS IN HIGH PERFORMANCE USAF JETS. HE HAD 1 HOUR OF DUAL IN MAKE AND MODEL PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT AND 3 KNOWN DUAL FLIGHTS IN CIVILIAN AIRPLANES. THE ONLY RUNWAY USED DURING THIS TRAINING WAS THE 8,000 FT LONG.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,800 hours in all; 4 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,959 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 13, 1990; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-D4A5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Norfolk Navy Flying Club
The flight
- Destination: NGU Norfolk, VA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 30, 2,500 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 3,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 5:55 pm from PSM, 4 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.