Piper PA-22-135 accident near Greensburg, Indiana, April 7, 2017
On April 7, 2017 at about 10:35 pm local time, a 1952 Piper PA-22-135, registered N2389A, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach near Greensburg, Indiana (Greensburg Municipal Airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain control during landing, which resulted in an impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 7, 2017 · about 10:35 pm local time
- Place
- Greensburg, Indiana · Greensburg Municipal Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 2 others were unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22-135, built 1952 · all PA-22-135s on the register
- Registration
- N2389A · no longer on the register · serial 22-754
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was approaching the airport to land during a cross-country flight. During the landing approach, the pilot noticed that the airplane would bank to the left at low speeds but that the bank resolved at higher airspeeds. As the airplane slowed on final approach, it banked left and subsequently impacted a field left of the runway. Postaccident examination of the airplane flight control system confirmed flight control continuity, and no anomalies were noted that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane.
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
What happened, in order
- Loss of control in flight during approach defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,048 hours in all; 35 in this make and model; 23 in the last 90 days; 17 in the last 30 days; 690 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 18, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,970 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 23, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 1,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-D2 (piston); 2,970 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SRB Sparta TN at 7:35 pm
- Destination: I34 Greensburg IN
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 3,433 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 14 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 54°F (12°C), dew point 19°F (-7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 10:50 pm from BAK, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on May 17, 2018. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Correspondence - FAA | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Wreckage Diagram | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
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.