- Date
- July 12, 1992, 10:00 local (14:00 UTC)
- Place
- Beavertown, PA
- Injuries
- 2 serious
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Phase of flight
- Enroute
- Aircraft
- N4754ZPiper PA-22-108
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 30, 1993
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19920712025079A
- Case key
- 11819
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain ground clearance. Contributing to the accident was a downdraft and insufficient altitude.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot was nearing his destination when he noticed the sky was darkening north of the airport. The pilot decided to turn around and head back to where he departed. He said that afterwards he encountered a downdraft and he was unable to maintain altitude. Consequently, the aircraft descended and struck the east side of a mountain.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N4754Z
- Reported as
- Piper PA-22-108
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 22-8310
- Airframe hours
- 2,353
- Engine
- Lycoming O-235-CIB, 108 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Kelly Wilson
- Registered owner
- Kelly Wilson
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · June 1, 1991 · 45 hours before
- Departed
- PA23 · Mifflintown, PA
- Destination
- SEG · Selinsgrove, PA
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 29
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 307 total · 149 in this make and model · 246 as pilot in command · 11 in the last 90 days · 2 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 110° at 6 knots
- Visibility
- 6 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- 8,500 ft broken
- Temperature
- 72 °F, dew point 66 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- IPT, 40 nm away
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.