Piper PA-46-350P accident near Doylestown, Pennsylvania, March 16, 1992
On March 16, 1992 at about 6:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-46-350P, registered N872RJ, was substantially damaged in an accident near Doylestown, Pennsylvania (Doylestown Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
FAILURE OF THE PILOT TO MAINTAIN DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING TOUCHDOWN, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INADVERTENT GROUND SWERVE. A FACTOR RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WAS THE GUSTY CROSSWIND CONDITION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 16, 1992 · about 6:30 pm local time
- Place
- Doylestown, Pennsylvania · Doylestown Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-46-350P · all PA-46-350Ps on the register
- Registration
- N872RJ · no longer on the register · serial 4622028
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
DURING TOUCHDOWN ON RUNWAY 23 AT DOYLESTOWN AIRPORT, DOYLESTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, THE AIRPLANE ENCOUNTERED A TURBULENT GUST OF WIND AND THE RIGHT WING ROSE ABRUPTLY. THE PILOT STATED THAT EVEN THOUGH HE INPUT FULL AILERON AND ALMOST FULL RUDDER, THE AIRPLANE VEERED OFF THE LEFT OF THE RUNWAY AND IMPACTED A WIND SOCK POLE AND WIND TEE. THERE WAS NO REPORTED AIRFRAME OR ENGINE MALFUNCTION PRIOR TO HITTING THE WIND SOCK POLE. THE PILOT WAS NOT INJURED, BUT THE AIRPLANE WAS SUBSTANTIALLY DAMAGED.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,149 hours in all; 408 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 21 in the last 30 days; 971 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 464 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 13, 1992; 84 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,318 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming TIO-540-AE2A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CHS Charleston SC at 3:30 pm
- Flight plan: VFR then IFR
- Runway 23, 3,004 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 16 knots, gusting 20
- Visibility: 30 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 32°F (0°C), dew point 3°F (-16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:51 pm from ABE, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.