Piper PA-28-140 accident near Sodus, New York, August 3, 1996
On August 3, 1996, a Piper PA-28-140, registered N612FL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Sodus, New York (Sodus 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 visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to obtain the proper touchdown point, which resulted in insufficient runway to stop the airplane, and the subsequent overrun. Factors in the accident were the wet grass runway surface, and the pilot's lack of recent flying experience.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 3, 1996
- Place
- Sodus, New York · Sodus · 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
- N612FL · no longer on the register
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and passenger flew a local flight from a private airstrip and had returned to land. On final approach to the north runway, the pilot notice rain on the windshield. The pilot flared high and the airplane touched down about halfway down the 2,200 foot wet grass runway. The airplane skidded on the wet grass and ran off the end of the runway and struck trees. Winds at an airport about 35 miles to the west of the private strip were reported from 190 degrees at 4 knots. The pilot obtained his private pilot certificate in 1983, and after a 13 year lay off from flying, had flown about 7 hours during the previous 90 days, and 1 hour in the past 30 days. His estimated total flight experience was 64 hours, of which 15 were as a pilot-in-command.
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
- Flight time: 64 hours in all; 17 in this make and model; 30 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,890 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 3, 1996; 50 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320EG3 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: NONE at 11:15 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,200 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: from 190° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 4 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 14,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 64°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.
Other NTSB records under N612FL 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.