Piper PA-28-140 N98360

Summary

On 8 March 2026 at about 15:00 local time, a Piper PA-28-140 registered N98360, operated by JTS Aircraft LLC, was involved in an accident near Indian Trail, North Carolina, United States. 2 people were on board and 2 were seriously injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. No probable cause has been published yet; this accident is still under investigation.

Date

8 March 2026 at 15:00

Classification

Accident

Location

Indian Trail, North Carolina, United States

Nearest airport

Goose Creek (28A)

Coordinates

35.1091, -80.5857

Aircraft

Piper PA-28-140

Registration

N98360

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

JTS Aircraft LLC

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA26LA144

2 people were seriously injured.

The NTSB has not published a probable cause for this record. The investigation is still open; a final report usually follows one to two years after the accident.

Nothing about the cause is stated here that is not in the source record.

Read the full NTSB narrative

On March 8, 2026, about 1100 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-28-140, N98360, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Indian Trail, North Carolina. The pilot and passenger were seriously injured. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 personal flight. The pilot reported that the airplane had a total of 24 gallons of fuel onboard. After completing the preflight inspection, which included checking that fuel samples taken from the tank drains were absent of contaminants, they taxied to the runway for departure. The before takeoff checks were completed with no anomalies noted. The pilot conducted a short field takeoff and established an initial climb. About 1,000 ft above ground level (agl), the engine “cut out”. The pilot reported multiple engine power fluctuations and was unable to maintain lift. He attempted a forced landing in a field, but the airplane’s left wing struck a tree about 30 ft agl, which separated the wing from the fuselage, and the airplane subsequently impacted the ground. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing and fuselage. A postaccident examination of the airplane by an FAA inspector found that the fuel selector was selected to the right wing fuel tank, which contained several gallons of fuel. A fuel sample was taken from the fuel tank drain and was absent of water or debris. The engine did not exhibit any external signatures of a catastrophic engine failure and contained 5 quarts of oil. According to the operator of the airplane, the engine had accumulated about 2,200 hours since it was overhauled in 2016. The most recent annual inspection of the airframe and engine was completed on December 23, 2025, and no major engine repairs were performed thereafter. The wreckage was retained for further examination.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.