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Atlas / NTSB / CHI86MA212

NTSB CAROL · Event

Event CHI86MA212

1986-08-29 MONTGOMERY, New York, United States Airport · MGJ Fatal 1 aircraft Status: Completed

Aircraft involved

Factual narrative

AFTER CANCELING HIS IFR FLIGHT PLAN, THE PA-31 PILOT ENTERED THE TRAFFIC PATTERN FOR RWY 26 ON A CROSSWIND LEG. HE DID NOT SEE ANY TRAFFIC ON DOWNWIND AS HE ENTERED THE PATTERN. HE VISUALLY CLEARED THE AREA BELOW AND TO HIS RIGHT WHILE ON DOWNWIND AND AS HE LOOKED UP AND FORWARD HE SAW THE CESSNA 152 IN FRONT OF HIM. THE CESSNA WAS ALSO ON THE DOWNWIND LEG FOR RWY 26. THE PA-31 PILOT, UPON SEEING THE CESSNA, PULLED UP AND TO THE RIGHT, BUT THE LEFT LANDING GEAR AND UNDERSIDE OF HIS AIRCRAFT DESTROYED THE EMPENNAGE OF THE CESSNA WHICH SUBSEQUENTLY DESCENDED UNCONTROLLED TO GROUND IMPACT. THE PA-31 PILOT WAS ABLE TO LAND HIS AIRCRAFT, BUT THE LEFT GEAR COLLAPSED DURING THE LANDING ROLL. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1986_CHI86MA212.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.