Piper PA-32-260 Cherokee Six, N8791E, accident occurred on August 6, 2026, near Pinetown, North Carolina

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this writing will be corrected when/if the NTSB preliminary report is released.

https://registry.faa.gov/AircraftInquiry/Search/NNumberResult?nNumberTxt=N8791E

- History of Flight:
On August 6, 2026, at about 1345 local time, a Piper PA-32-260 Cherokee Six, N8791E, registered to KL&Z Farms LLC out of Littleton, NC, sustained substantial damage following a forced landing near Pinetown, North Carolina. The pilot and two passengers were not injured. The flight originated from Halifax-Northampton Regional Airport (IXA/KIXA), Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, at 1305.

Earlier in the day, at 0838, the airplane departed Ocracoke Island Airport (W95), Ocracoke, North Carolina, on a 1 hour flight to KIXA. The accident occurred during the return leg.

Flight tracking sites only recorded a portion of the track at 1306 and 1345. The airplane was seen cruising at 2,700 ft.

Figure 1: ADS-B exchange track of initial flight and return accident leg, note lack of good data on return track

The airplane came to rest upright against a tree line and there was no post crash fire. Both wings and tail remained attached to the airframe. The outer left wing edge was severed, the main landing gear was detached.

- Weather:

METAR KMCZ 061755Z AUTO 21006KT 10SM SCT039 33/24 A3021 RMK AO2 T03290237 10330 20245

METAR KOCW 061735Z AUTO 18008KT 10SM SCT040 SCT048 SCT060 32/23 A3022 RMK AO2 T03180227

METAR KOCW 061755Z AUTO 24004KT 10SM SCT037 32/23 A3021 RMK AO2 T03210231 10329 20254