Piper PA-28-140 accident near Wawayanda, New York, August 7, 1991
On August 7, 1991 at about 4:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N44289, was destroyed in an accident near Wawayanda, New York. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT STARTED A SPIN MANEUVER AT TOO LOW AN ALTITUDE TO ALLOW RECOVERY. A FACTOR IN THE ACCIDENT WAS SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 2500 FEEL MSL.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 7, 1991 · about 4:00 pm local time
- Place
- Wawayanda, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N44289 · registry record · serial 28-7425400
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE AIRPLANE WAS SEEN BY SEVERAL WITNESSES AT A LOW ALTITUDE, DESCENDING IN A SPIN AND IMPACTED THE GROUND IN AN OPEN FIELD. VISIBILITY AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT WAS ABOUT 30 MILES, HOWEVER, THERE WERE SCATTERED CLOUDS AT 2500 FEET MSL AND THE ELEVATION AT THE CRASH WAS APPROXIMATELY 350 FEET MSL.
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: airline transport pilot, flight instructor
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,502 hours in all; 185 in the last 90 days; 55 in the last 30 days; 2,739 as pilot in command; 1,331 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 2, 1991; 86 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E3D (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Century Air, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: MMU Morristown NJ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 300° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Observation at 5:45 pm from SWF, 14 miles away
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.