Fairchild M-62A accident near Albion, New York, July 25, 2012
On July 25, 2012 at about 6:00 pm local time, a Fairchild M-62A, registered N53953, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Albion, New York (Pine Hill Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control while taking off in gusting wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 25, 2012 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- Albion, New York · Pine Hill Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Fairchild M-62A · all M-62As on the register
- Registration
- N53953 · registry record · serial T41-1342
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that shortly after takeoff the airplane veered to the left due to a gust of wind. The pilot attempted to realign the airplane with the runway centerline but was unsuccessful and landed in a soybean field. Postaccident examination revealed substantial damage to the airplane firewall and engine mounts. The pilot reported a quartering tailwind about the time of the accident. The examination showed no evidence of preexisting mechanical anomalies that would have precluded normal operation of the airplane, and the pilot did not report any.
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
- Attempted remediation/recovery during takeoff
- Runway excursion during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Use of equip/system › Pilot
- cause Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Response/compensation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 414 hours in all; 82 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days
- Last flight review: September 30, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 1,865 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 5, 2011
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Fairchild 6-440 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 9G6 Albion NY at 6:00 pm
- Destination: 9G6 Albion NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 28, 2,659 ft by 36 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 221° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 25,000 ft; a few clouds at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 46°F (8°C)
- Altimeter: 29.92 inHg
- Observation at 5:54 pm from KBUF, 25 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flig | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Other NTSB records under N53953 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA12CA492.