Cessna 182 accident near Milford, Pennsylvania, August 7, 2009
On August 7, 2009 at about 8:30 pm local time, a Cessna 182, registered N9432X, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Milford, Pennsylvania (Myer Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain control during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 7, 2009 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Milford, Pennsylvania · Myer Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182 R · all 182s on the register
- Registration
- N9432X · no longer on the register · serial 18268524
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was taking off from a 2,500-foot long by 50-foot wide turf runway, oriented on a northerly heading, when the airplane "became airborne early due to a dip in the runway." According to the pilot, he experienced a "slight left crosswind" and "engine torque," and the airplane began drifting to the left. The left wingtip impacted a tree, and the airplane came to rest in trees on the left side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the left wing. Neither the pilot nor a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, who examined the airplane after the accident, reported any pre-impact mechanical malfunctions or anomalies. Details regarding the pilot's experience operating on turf runways, and particularly the accident airport, could not be obtained despite numerous attempts. In the NTSB Pilot/Operator Accident Report Form, the pilot reported the accident airport's runway width as 50 feet. This was confirmed by analysis of aerial photographs of the airport, which also depicted the distance between trees on either side of the runway as varying between 77 feet and 56 feet. However, records maintained by the FAA listed the runway as 200 feet wide. The nearest weather reporting station, located approximately 16 nautical miles southeast of the accident location, reported winds from 280 degrees at 7 knots around the time of the accident.
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 on ground during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
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
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,000 hours in all; 500 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 1,000 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 3, 2008
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Maximum gross weight: 3,100 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O470 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Tab Air Inc.
The flight
- Departed from: 6PA0 Milford PA at 8:30 pm
- Destination: OLE Olean NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,500 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 7,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 50°F (10°C)
- Altimeter: 30.06 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from FWN, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.