Piper PA-28R-201 accident near Mattituck, New York, October 21, 1998
On October 21, 1998 at about 6:20 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-201, registered N31869, was destroyed in an accident near Mattituck, New York (Mattituck Airbase airport). It was a business 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 maintain the airplane's directional control during a go-around.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 21, 1998 · about 6:20 pm local time
- Place
- Mattituck, New York · Mattituck Airbase · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-201 · all PA-28R-201s on the register
- Registration
- N31869 · no longer on the register · serial 28R-7837252
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The commercial pilot was flying from the right seat, and the passenger, who was also a student pilot, was in the left seat. The commercial pilot attempted to land, but when he felt it could not be done safely, he decided to perform a go-around. The airplane drifted off the left side of the runway and collided with trees during the go-around. Winds were from the right, about 10 knots.
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: 240 hours in all; 10 in this make and model; 30 in the last 90 days; 7 in the last 30 days; 133 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 7,387 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, September 24, 1998; 35 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,750 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1C6 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Million Air
The flight
- Departed from: TEB Teterboro NJ at 6:30 pm
- Destination: 21N
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 2,200 ft by 130 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 9,500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from FOK, 9 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.