- Date
- November 9, 2022, 11:25, time zone not recorded
- Place
- Allentown, PA
- Injuries
- 1 serious, 1 uninjured
- Damage
- No damage
- Phase of flight
- Standing
- Aircraft
- N8543EPiper PA-28-140
- Defining event
- Standing-engine(s) operating: AC/prop/rotor contact w person
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA - Allentown FSDO
- FAA report
- 20221109017419A
- Case key
- 106274
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 flight instructor’s decision to remove the nosewheel chock while the engine was still operating.
Findings · 1
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
After engine start, the student pilot and the flight instructor realized that the airplane’s nosewheel chock was still in place. The flight instructor decided to deplane to remove the chock without shutting down the engine. After removing the chock, the flight instructor moved to signal the student pilot that the chock was removed. In the process, the flight instructor made physical contact with the spinning propellor, resulting in serious injury. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N8543E
- Reported as
- Piper PA-28-140
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 28-7625140
- Built
- 1976
- Airframe hours
- 13,975
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-E2A, 150 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- No damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Operator
- Ace Pilot Training Inc
- Registered owner
- Ace Pilot Training Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · September 5, 2022 · 81 hours before
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- ABE · Lehigh Valley International Airport
- Equipment
- ADS-B, Stall warning system
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 · 2
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 23
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 31 total · 31 in this make and model · 0 as pilot in command · 9 in the last 90 days · 2.1 in the last 30 days · 0 in the last 24 hours
- Role
- Flight instructor
- Age
- 21
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificates
- Flight instructor, Commercial
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3
- Seat
- Right
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 549.8 total · 110.4 in this make and model · 460.1 as pilot in command · 185.2 in the last 90 days · 58.2 in the last 30 days · 2.3 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Calm
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 46 °F, dew point 25 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.65 inHg
- Observed at
- ABE
- METAR
- KABE 091551Z 00000KT 10SM CLR 08/M04 A3065 RMK AO2 SLP382 T00831044
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on February 20, 2023, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 16.8 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.