Piper PA28 accident near Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, November 29, 2020
On November 29, 2020 at about 3:50 pm local time, a 1969 Piper PA28, registered N8056N, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Bellefonte, Pennsylvania (Bellefonte airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was 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 directional control while landing, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 29, 2020 · about 3:50 pm local time
- Place
- Bellefonte, Pennsylvania · Bellefonte · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28 140, built 1969 · all PA28s on the register
- Registration
- N8056N · no longer on the register · serial 28-25304
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was conducting solo touch and go landings and on the fourth landing, the airplane was “blown” off the runway centerline on short final approach. She applied left rudder to return to the centerline, but upon touchdown, there was “…too much left rudder,” and the airplane veered to the left and departed the runway into the grass. The pilot did not apply brakes before impacting a gully and fence, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures 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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 60.2 hours in all; 60.2 in this make and model; 7.3 in the last 90 days; 4.2 in the last 30 days; 1.2 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 9,007 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 6, 2020
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 9,007 hours total
- Operator: Pleasant Valley Aviation INC
The flight
- Departed from: N96 Bellefonte PA at 3:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 3,680 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 11:10 am from Univ, 2 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 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 Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record A�� Telephone Interview, Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 4 pages | 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.