What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On July 20, 2025, at 0759 eastern daylight time (EDT), a Piper meridian was substantially damaged when it was involved in an off-airport accident in Lititz, PA. The pilot in command (PIC) was the sole occupant and was fatally injured. The airplane was operated in accordance with title 14 code of federal regulations (CFR) part 91 as a personal flight under instrument flight rules (IFR). The lns meteorological aerodrome report (METAR) published at 0755 EDT indicated that instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) were present at the time of departure and included wind from 180° at 2 knots, 5 statute miles visibility with mist, broken clouds at 400 ft and 900 ft above ground level (AGL), temperature 25 degrees c, dew point 24 degrees c, and an altimeter setting of 29.88 inhg. The flight originated at Lancaster Airport (lns) with state college regional airport (unv) as the intended destination.
Lns video surveillance showed the PIC arriving at the airport at approximately 0737 EDT where he then completed a brief 2-minute preflight inspection. Air traffic control (ATC) data showed the PIC called at 0751 EDT to request IFR clearance to unv airport. ATC provided IFR clearance as requested and instructed the PIC to taxi to runway 8 and hold for IFR release. Automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) data showed the PIC taxi onto runway 8 and begin his takeoff roll at 0758 EDT. The aircraft departed runway 8, reaching a peak speed and altitude of 136 knots and 650 ft mean sea level (MSL). The last ADS-B datapoint occurred 2 seconds later showing a speed of 134 knots and an altitude of 550 ft MSL. Approximately 30 seconds after takeoff the aircraft disappears from the lns surveillance camera view into, or behind, a low area of fog/thin clouds. Approximately 60 seconds after takeoff, a plume of white/grey smoke is visible from the aircraft impact site. The time of impact is estimated at 0759 EDT.
The aircraft impacted the ground on a heading of 070 degrees and a nose down angle of approximately 39 degrees. The engine and propeller created an impact crater 11 ft long, 6 ft wide, 20 inches deep. The aircraft bounced and slid to rest 164 ft beyond the point of impact. The airframe was compressed from nose to tail with the left wing separated into multiple sections. The engine remained within the fuselage while the propeller separated from the engine. The propeller was found 60 ft from the impact crater.
A review of the pic's logbook indicated a flight review and instrument proficiency check were both completed on December 7, 2024, but does not indicate compliance with 14 CFR 61.57(c)(1) instrument experience requirements.
privacy data omittedPilot’s spouseprivacy data omitted. privacy data omitted.
privacy data omitted.
As the FAA filed it
ON JULY 20, 2025, AT 0759 EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME (EDT), A PIPER MERIDIAN WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED WHEN IT WAS INVOLVED IN AN OFF-AIRPORT ACCIDENT IN LITITZ, PA. THE PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) WAS THE SOLE OCCUPANT AND WAS FATALLY INJURED. THE AIRPLANE WAS OPERATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH TITLE 14 CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS (CFR) PART 91 AS A PERSONAL FLIGHT UNDER INSTRUMENT FLIGHT RULES (IFR). THE LNS METEOROLOGICAL AERODROME REPORT (METAR) PUBLISHED AT 0755 EDT INDICATED THAT INSTRUMENT METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS (IMC) WERE PRESENT AT THE TIME OF DEPARTURE AND INCLUDED WIND FROM 180° AT 2 KNOTS, 5 STATUTE MILES VISIBILITY WITH MIST, BROKEN CLOUDS AT 400 FT AND 900 FT ABOVE GROUND LEVEL (AGL), TEMPERATURE 25 DEGREES C, DEW POINT 24 DEGREES C, AND AN ALTIMETER SETTING OF 29.88 INHG. THE FLIGHT ORIGINATED AT LANCASTER AIRPORT (LNS) WITH STATE COLLEGE REGIONAL AIRPORT (UNV) AS THE INTENDED DESTINATION.
LNS VIDEO SURVEILLANCE SHOWED THE PIC ARRIVING AT THE AIRPORT AT APPROXIMATELY 0737 EDT WHERE HE THEN COMPLETED A BRIEF 2-MINUTE PREFLIGHT INSPECTION. AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL (ATC) DATA SHOWED THE PIC CALLED AT 0751 EDT TO REQUEST IFR CLEARANCE TO UNV AIRPORT. ATC PROVIDED IFR CLEARANCE AS REQUESTED AND INSTRUCTED THE PIC TO TAXI TO RUNWAY 8 AND HOLD FOR IFR RELEASE. AUTOMATIC DEPENDENT SURVEILLANCE BROADCAST (ADS-B) DATA SHOWED THE PIC TAXI ONTO RUNWAY 8 AND BEGIN HIS TAKEOFF ROLL AT 0758 EDT. THE AIRCRAFT DEPARTED RUNWAY 8, REACHING A PEAK SPEED AND ALTITUDE OF 136 KNOTS AND 650 FT MEAN SEA LEVEL (MSL). THE LAST ADS-B DATAPOINT OCCURRED 2 SECONDS LATER SHOWING A SPEED OF 134 KNOTS AND AN ALTITUDE OF 550 FT MSL. APPROXIMATELY 30 SECONDS AFTER TAKEOFF THE AIRCRAFT DISAPPEARS FROM THE LNS SURVEILLANCE CAMERA VIEW INTO, OR BEHIND, A LOW AREA OF FOG/THIN CLOUDS. APPROXIMATELY 60 SECONDS AFTER TAKEOFF, A PLUME OF WHITE/GREY SMOKE IS VISIBLE FROM THE AIRCRAFT IMPACT SITE. THE TIME OF IMPACT IS ESTIMATED AT 0759 EDT.
THE AIRCRAFT IMPACTED THE GROUND ON A HEADING OF 070 DEGREES AND A NOSE DOWN ANGLE OF APPROXIMATELY 39 DEGREES. THE ENGINE AND PROPELLER CREATED AN IMPACT CRATER 11 FT LONG, 6 FT WIDE, 20 INCHES DEEP. THE AIRCRAFT BOUNCED AND SLID TO REST 164 FT BEYOND THE POINT OF IMPACT. THE AIRFRAME WAS COMPRESSED FROM NOSE TO TAIL WITH THE LEFT WING SEPARATED INTO MULTIPLE SECTIONS. THE ENGINE REMAINED WITHIN THE FUSELAGE WHILE THE PROPELLER SEPARATED FROM THE ENGINE. THE PROPELLER WAS FOUND 60 FT FROM THE IMPACT CRATER.
A REVIEW OF THE PIC'S LOGBOOK INDICATED A FLIGHT REVIEW AND INSTRUMENT PROFICIENCY CHECK WERE BOTH COMPLETED ON DECEMBER 7, 2024, BUT DOES NOT INDICATE COMPLIANCE WITH 14 CFR 61.57(C)(1) INSTRUMENT EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS.
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^PILOT’S SPOUSE^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^. ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.
^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.
NTSB investigation
The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.