Piper PA28 accident near Lititz, Pennsylvania, November 20, 2020
On November 20, 2020, a 1965 Piper PA28, registered N9086W, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Lititz, Pennsylvania (Lancaster 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 inadvertent attempt to takeoff on a taxiway, rather than a runway, which resulted in a collision with a fence during takeoff.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 20, 2020
- Place
- Lititz, Pennsylvania · Lancaster Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 235, built 1965 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N9086W · no longer on the register · serial 28-10690
- 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 the airplane was standing at the hold short line for the runway at night. The pilot was cleared for takeoff and taxied toward the runway; however, he mistook a taxiway for the runway and attempted a takeoff. During the takeoff roll, the airplane struck a fence and came to rest inverted. The airplane’s fuselage and left wing were substantially damaged. The pilot added that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Wrong surface or wrong airport during takeoff defining event
- Ground collision during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,347 hours in all; 2,526 in this make and model; 27 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 3,220 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,858 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, June 26, 2020; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-540 (piston); 5,909 hours total
The flight
- Destination: DMW Westminster MD
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 4,102 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 130° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 45°F (7°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Observation at 7:53 pm from LNS, 1 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
3 documents, released by the NTSB on June 17, 2021. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Map of Ground Track | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Photo | 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.