Piper PA 28-140 accident near Honesdale, Pennsylvania, June 29, 2017
On June 29, 2017 at about 5:00 pm local time, a 1965 Piper PA 28-140, registered N6977W, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Honesdale, Pennsylvania (Cherry Ridge airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during crosswind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 29, 2017 · about 5:00 pm local time
- Place
- Honesdale, Pennsylvania · Cherry Ridge · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA 28-140 140, built 1965 · all PA 28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N6977W · no longer on the register · serial 28-21175
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during the landing flare, a wind gust "picked up" the right wing and "spun" the airplane to the left. The airplane veered off the left side of the runway and came to rest in a ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the forward portion of the fuselage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. An automated weather observation system located about 13 nautical miles from the accident site reported that, about the time of the accident, a right 70°, 8-knot crosswind wind prevailed.
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 landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 359 hours in all; 200 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,457.1 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 8, 2017; 630 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 6,457 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 22N Lehighton PA at 3:00 pm
- Destination: N30 Honesdale PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 2,986 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; a few clouds at 2,600 ft
- Temperature: 41°F (5°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.19 inHg
- Observation at 5:00 pm from KMPO, 24 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on November 27, 2017. 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 | Photo (Courtesy of FAA) | 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.