Piper PA-34-200 accident near Wadsworth, Ohio, August 14, 1989
On August 14, 1989, a Piper PA-34-200, registered N16LL, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wadsworth, Ohio (Weltzien Skypark airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
INADEQUATE SUPERVISION OF THE FLIGHT BY THE PILOT-IN-COMMAND (CFI) WHICH RESULTED IN LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL OF THE AIRCRAFT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS WERE: LACK OF RECENT EXPERIENCE IN THE TYPE OF OPERATION BY THE CFI, LACK OF TOTAL EXPERIENCE BY THE STUDENT PILOT, AND THE PARKED AIRCRAFT.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 14, 1989
- Place
- Wadsworth, Ohio · Weltzien Skypark · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-34-200 · all PA-34-200s on the register
- Registration
- N16LL · no longer on the register · serial 34-7250050
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE INSTRUCTOR (CFI) & STUDENT PLT WERE ON A PERSONAL FLT IN AN ACFT EQUIPPED WITH PEDAL BRAKES ON THE LEFT SIDE ONLY, BUT THE PARKING BRAKE WAS ACCESSIBLE TO BOTH PLTS. THE CFI ALLOWED THE STUDENT TO OCCUPY THE LEFT FRONT SEAT WHERE HE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR OPN OF THE NORMAL BRAKES. DRG THE APCH TO LND, THE CFI REMINDED THE STUDENT THAT THE BRAKES WERE ON THE STUDENT'S SIDE. THE CFI RPRTD 'I FLEW THE AIRPLANE AT THE NORMAL APPROACH SPEEDS AND SLOWED IT RIGHT DOWN ON TOUCHDOWN SO THAT BRAKING WOULD BE LITTLE OR ALMOST NONE AT ALL.' THE APCH WAS NORMAL UNTIL TOUCHDOWN, 'THEN THE ACFT STARTED PULLING TO THE LEFT AS IF SOMEONE HAD LOCKED UP THE LEFT BRAKE.' THE CFI TOLD THE STUDENT TO 'GET OFF THE BRAKE' & THE STUDENT INDCD HE DID NOT APPLY BRAKING. THE ACFT SLID SIDEWAYS, THE LEFT MAIN GEAR COLLAPSED & THE LEFT WING HIT THE TIRE OF ANOTHER ACFT. AN EXAM OF THE BRAKES REVEALED NO SIGN OF A MALFUNCTION. THE CFI HAD JUST RCVD HIS MULTI-ENG RATING ON 7/23/89. HE HAD ONLY 40 HRS OF MULTI-ENG FLT TIME, OF WHICH, 23 HRS WERE IN THIS MAKE & MODEL.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 870 hours in all; 23 in this make and model; 415 in the last 90 days; 137 in the last 30 days; 770 as pilot in command; 500 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,400 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, June 30, 1989; 86 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1E6 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: CLE Cleveland OH at 11:30 pm
- Destination: 15G
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 21, 2,300 ft by 37 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 5 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 12,000 ft
- Temperature: 72°F (22°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 11:52 pm from CAK, 15 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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.