NTSB NYC95LA044 — 1994-12-20 · GR. BARRINGTON, Massachusetts, United States

Current FAA registration · N4497X

Make / Model: PIPER PA-28-181
Year of manufacture: 1975 · 19 years old at event
Engine: LYCOMING O&VO-360 SER (180 hp)
Seats / Engines: 4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date: 19751014
ADS-B equipped: Yes — Mode-S A56F6F

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

N4497X Piper PA-28-181 None

Probable cause & findings

The pilot landed with excessive airspeed which resulted in a long landing, runway overrun, and collision with trees.

Factual narrative

On December 20, 1994, at 1600 eastern standard time, a Piper PA- 28-181, N4497X, piloted by Joesph Lewis, was substantially damaged during a landing on runway 29 at the Great Barrington Airport, Great Barrington, Massachusetts. The pilot and the three passengers were not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan had been filed for the flight operated under 14 CFR Part 91. According to the pilot statement on the NTSB Form 6120.1/2: While landing I came in too fast and landed long. I ran off the runway to the right and crashed into some small trees...to my mind there was nothing wrong with the aircraft. The accident was due to pilot error. ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S STATEMENT, HE CAME IN TOO FAST AND LANDED LONG. HE REPORTED, '...I RAN OFF THE RUNWAY TO THE RIGHT AND CRASHED INTO SOME SMALL TREES...TO MY MIND THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE AIRCRAFT. THE ACCIDENT WAS DUE TO PILOT ERROR.' Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_1994_NYC95LA044.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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