Piper PA22 accident near Island Pond, Vermont, August 25, 2018
On August 25, 2018 at about 7:20 pm local time, a 1956 Piper PA22, registered N6936B, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern base) near Island Pond, Vermont (John H Boylan State airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's exceedance of the airplane's critical angle of attack while maneuvering for landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 25, 2018 · about 7:20 pm local time
- Place
- Island Pond, Vermont · John H Boylan State · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA22 150, built 1956 · all PA22s on the register
- Registration
- N6936B · no longer on the register · serial 22-4215
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was landing his airplane at his home airport at the conclusion of a local flight. The airplane was last seen flying normally on the left downwind leg of the airport traffic pattern, and the wreckage was subsequently discovered in a location consistent with a turn from the downwind to base leg of the traffic pattern. The airplane and engine sustained extensive impact damage and postimpact fire damage; however, examination revealed no discrepancies that would have precluded normal operation. A friend of the pilot, who flew with him often, said that the pilot tended to turn from the downwind leg onto the base leg of the traffic pattern "quite steep" (about 40° bank) and slow (62-63 knots). The friend said that he shared his concerns about stalling with the pilot, but the pilot did not share the same concern. The airplane was not equipped with a stall warning horn or angle of attack indicator. Postmortem toxicology testing revealed the presence of several medications, including diphenhydramine, a sedating antihistamine; however, given the low levels identified, there was no evidence that the pilot was impaired by his use of diphenhydramine or that it contributed to the accident. Given the amount of fuel onboard and the duration of the flight, it is unlikely that the airplane ran out of fuel. Although there were no witnesses to the accident, given the location of the accident site, lack of preimpact mechanical anomalies, and the pilot's reported habit of conducting traffic pattern turns at a slow speed in a steep bank, it is likely that the pilot exceeded the airplane's critical angle of attack while maneuvering for landing, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and subsequent impact with terrain.
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 (VFR pattern base) defining event
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during approach (VFR pattern base)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
- Fire/smoke (post-impact) during post (impact)
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 › Angle of attack › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,289.5 hours in all; 362 in this make and model; 1,228 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 13, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,661 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 9, 2018
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 169 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: 5B1 Island Pond VT at 7:00 pm
- Destination: 5B1 Island Pond VT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 32, 2,650 ft by 120 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 120° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.22 inHg
- Observation at 7:35 pm from KCDA, 16 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
10 documents, released by the NTSB on September 19, 2019. 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 | Record of Conversation - Witness | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 2 | Record of Conversation - Friend of the Pilot | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Photos | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Toxicological Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Materials Laboratory Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Statement of Party Representatives to NTSB Investigation | PDF, 14 pages | View Download |
| 8 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15 | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 9 | Excerpt of the Piper Tri-pacer Information Manual | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 10 | Excerpt from FAA Airplane Flying Handbook (FAA -H-8083-3B) Chapter 4 | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N6936B the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.