Piper PA-28-140 accident near Marcellus, New York, June 12, 1990
On June 12, 1990, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N1323T, was substantially damaged in an accident near Marcellus, New York (Marcellus airport). 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
FAILURE OF THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND TO MAINTAIN AIRSPEED AFTER TAKEOFF. A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THE THE UPSLOPE GRADIENT OF THE RUNWAY.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 12, 1990
- Place
- Marcellus, New York · Marcellus · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N1323T · no longer on the register · serial 28-7225462
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE TOOK OFF FROM A GRASS STRIP WITH AN UPHILL SLOPE. AFTER GETTING AIRBORNE, THE AIRPLANE SETTLED INTO TREES OFF THE DEPARTURE END OF THE RUNWAY. THE AIRPLANE HAD JUST BEEN FUELED TO 36 GALLONS, AND THE TWO PILOTS WEIGHED APRX 180 LBS EACH.
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 single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,800 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 70 in the last 90 days; 30 in the last 30 days; 2,650 as pilot in command; 995 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,215 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 1, 1990; 20 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Textron Lyc. O-320-E3D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 33, 2,200 ft by 50 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Observation at 8:15 pm
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.
Other NTSB records under N1323T 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.