Individually Owned: 150,657
Corporate Owned: 137,281
York Airport
Aircraft Accident/Incident Report
Thomasville, Pennsylvania 17364
Sunday, January 29, 2012 12:42 EST
NTSB Narrative Summary Released at Completion of Accident
The private pilot was conducting a cross-country flight and landed at his destination airport, on runway 17 without incident. He taxied back to the beginning of the runway, took off, and entered a left traffic pattern for another approach to the same runway. The airplane was on final approach when it stalled and descended toward the ground. The airplane's left wing initially impacted the ground, followed by the nose. The airplane came to rest in a corn field about 1/4-mile from the approach end, and about 400 feet to the left of the extended runway centerline. Examination of the accident airplane’s global positioning system data revealed that the flight track data for the accident flight was similar to the flight track during the previous landing; however, the ground speeds during the final approach phase of the accident flight were significantly slower than during the previous landing. The airplane’s last recorded ground speed was 45 knots. According to the airplane’s performance charts, its stall speed for the landing configuration would have been 53 knots. Postaccident examination of the wreckage did not reveal any preimpact mechanical malfunctions that would have precluded normal operation. The wind reported at the airport about the time accident was from 230 degrees at 13 knots, gusting to 20 knots.
NTSB Probable Cause Narrative
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during an approach in gusty crosswind conditions, which resulted in an inadvertent aerodynamic stall.
Event Information
| Type of Event | Accident |
| Event Date | 1/29/2012 |
| Event Day of the Week | Sunday |
| Time of Event | 1242 |
| Event Time Zone | Eastern Standard Time |
| Event City | Thomasville |
| Event State | PENNSYLVANIA |
| Event Country | -- |
| Zipcode of the event site | 17364 |
| Event Date Year | 2012 |
| Event Date Month | 1 |
| MidAir Collision Indicator | No |
| On Ground Collision occurred ? | No |
| Event Location Latitude | 395531N |
| Event Location Longitude | 0765235W |
| Event Location Airport | York |
| Event Location Nearest Airport ID | THV |
| Indicates whether the acc/inc occurred off or on an airport | On Airport |
| Distance from airport in statute miles | 0 |
| Degrees magnetic from airport | -- |
| Airport Elevation | 495 |
| Weather Briefing Completeness | -- |
| Investigator's weather source | Weather Observation Facility |
| Time of the weather observation | 1253 Eastern Standard Time |
| Direction of event from weather observation facility (degrees) | 350 |
| Weather Observation Facility ID | THV |
| Elevation of weather observation facility | 495 |
| Distance of event from weather observation facility (units?) | -- |
| Time Zone of the weather observation | EST |
| Lighting Conditions | Day |
| Lowest Ceiling Height | -- |
| Lowest Non-Ceiling Height | -- |
| Sky/Lowest/Cloud Conditions | Clear |
| Sky Condition for Lowest Ceiling | None |
| Visibility Runway Visual Range (Feet) | -- |
| Visibility Runway Visual Value (Statute Miles) | -- |
| Visibility (Statute Miles) | 10 |
| Air Temperature at event time (in degrees celsius) | 4 |
| Dew Point at event time (in degress fahrenheit) | -9 |
| Wind Direction (degrees magnetic) | 230 |
| Variable Wind Indicator | Wind direction could be determined |
| Wind Speed (knots) | 13 |
| Wind Velocity Indicator | -- |
| Wind Gust Indicator | Gusting |
| Wind Gust (knots) | 20 |
| Altimeter Setting at event time (in. Hg) | 30.16 |
| Density Altitude (feet) | -- |
| Intensity of Precipitation | -- |
| METAR weather report | -- |
| Event Highest Injury | Fatal |
| On Ground, Fatal Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Minor Injuries | -- |
| On Ground, Serious Injuries | -- |
| Injury Total Fatal | 1 |
| Injury Total Minor | -- |
| Injury Total None | -- |
| Injury Total Serious | -- |
| Injury Total All | 1 |
| Investigating Agency | NTSB |
| NTSB Docket Number (internal use) | 30952 |
| NTSB Notification Source | FAA Eastern ROC |
| NTSB Notification Date | -- |
| NTSB Notification Time | -- |
| Fiche Number and/or location -used to find docket information | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 28 2013 3:49PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Basic weather conditions | Visual Meteorological Cond |
| FAA District Office | -- |
Aircraft Involved |
|
|---|---|
Aircraft #1 |
|
| Aircraft Registration Number | N1352T |
| NTSB Number | ERA12FA163 |
| Missing Aircraft Indicator | -- |
| Federal Aviation Reg. Part | Part 91: General Aviation |
| Type of Flight Plan filed | None |
| Flight plan Was Activated? | -- |
| Damage | Substantial |
| Aircraft Fire | None |
| Aircraft Explosion | None |
| Aircraft Manufacturer's Full Name | PIPER |
| Aircraft Model | PA-28-180 |
| Aircraft Series Identifier | -- |
| Aircraft Serial Number | 28-7205287 |
| Certified Max Gross Weight | 2400 |
| Aircraft Category | Airplane |
| Aircraft Registration Class | -- |
| Aircraft is a homebuilt? | No |
| Flight Crew Seats | -- |
| Cabin Crew Seats | -- |
| Passenger Seats | -- |
| Total number of seats on the aircraft | 4 |
| Number of Engines | 1 |
| Fixed gear or retractable gear | Fixed |
| Aircraft, Type of Last Inspection | Annual |
| Date of Last Inspection | Nov 2 2011 12:00AM |
| Airframe hours since last inspection | 32 |
| Airframe Hours | 6744 |
| ELT Installed | Yes |
| ELT Activated | Yes |
| ELT Aided Location of Event Site | No |
| ELT Type | C91-A |
| Aircraft Owner Name | Condor Flying Club, Inc. |
| Aircraft Owner Street Address | -- |
| Aircraft Owner City | Lewes |
| Aircraft Owner State | DE |
| Aircraft Owner Country | USA |
| Aircraft Owner Zipcode | 19958 |
| Operator is an individual? | Yes |
| Operator Name | Douglas K . Helms |
| Operator Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Is Doing Business As | -- |
| Operator Address Same as Owner? | No |
| Operator Street Address | -- |
| Operator City | Westminster |
| Operator State | MD |
| Operator Country | USA |
| Operator Zip code | 21157 |
| Operator Code | -- |
| Owner has at least one certificate | None |
| Other Operator of large aircraft? | No |
| Certified for Part 133 or 137 Operation | -- |
| Operator Certificate Number | -- |
| Indicates whether an air carrier operation was scheduled or not | -- |
| Indicates Domestic or International Flight | -- |
| Operator carrying Pax/Cargo/Mail | -- |
| Type of Flying (Per_Bus / Primary) | Personal |
| Second Pilot on Board | No |
| Departure Point Same as Event | No |
| Departure Airport Code | FDK |
| Departure City | Fredrick |
| Departure State | MD |
| Departure Country | USA |
| Departure Time | 1200 |
| Departure Time Zone | EST |
| Destination Same as Local Flt | crash at destination city |
| Destination Airport Code | THV |
| Destination City | Thomasville |
| Destination State | PA |
| Destination Country | USA |
| Specific Phase of Flight | -- |
| Report sent to ICAO? | -- |
| Evacuation occurred | -- |
| Date of most recent change to record | Jan 28 2013 3:49PM |
| User who most recently changed record | kenj |
| Since inspection or accident | Last Inspection |
| Event Location Runway Number and Location | 17 |
| Runway Length | 5188 |
| Runway Width | 100 |
| Sight Seeing flight | No |
| Air Medical Flight | No |
| Medical Flight | -- |