Piper PA-28-180 accident near Warren, Pennsylvania, April 2, 1998
On April 2, 1998 at about 11:15 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-180, registered N44181, was substantially damaged in an accident near Warren, Pennsylvania (Warren Airpark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries. 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.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 2, 1998 · about 11:15 pm local time
- Place
- Warren, Pennsylvania · Warren Airpark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-180 · all PA-28-180s on the register
- Registration
- N44181 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7405225
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was on a stabilized approach at 50 feet AGL (Above Ground Level), with full flaps and indicating 70 knots, when the airplane developed a high sink rate. At 30 feet, the pilot tried to arrest the excessive rate of descent with power. The airplane struck a drop off on the approach end of Runway 24, shearing the landing gear before coming to rest upright 40 feet down the runway.
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: 625 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 542 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,414 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 20, 1997; 15 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,450 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: W79 Tappahannock PA at 8:00 pm
- Destination: 7PA1
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 1,900 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,500 ft; scat at 3,700 ft
- Temperature: 43°F (6°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:53 pm from KBF, 30 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.