Piper PA-24 accident near Honesdale, Pennsylvania, April 25, 2022
On April 25, 2022 at about 2:06 pm local time, a 1959 Piper PA-24, registered N6121P, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi near Honesdale, Pennsylvania (Cherry Ridge 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 clearance with the edge of the asphalt, which resulted in a runway excursion. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s distraction due to a goose.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 25, 2022 · about 2:06 pm local time
- Place
- Honesdale, Pennsylvania · Cherry Ridge Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24 NO SERIES, built 1959 · all PA-24s on the register
- Registration
- N6121P · registry record · serial 24-1221
- 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 executing a 180° turn at the approach end of the runway to begin takeoff when she saw a goose crossing the runway near her position. To avoid the goose she relaxed the turn, and the right main landing gear wheel rolled off the asphalt in an area with a 4-inch lip. The airplane then rolled down an embankment resulting in substantial damage to the right wing. The pilot reported that there were no 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
- Miscellaneous/other during taxi defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Animal(s)/bird(s) › Decision related to condition
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 1,305 hours in all; 1,155 in this make and model; 16 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 1,185 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 2, 2020
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,025.2 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 3, 2021
- Maximum gross weight: 2,550 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Destination: MGJ Montgomery NY
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 130° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,400 ft
- Temperature: 50°F (10°C), dew point 27°F (-3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.23 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 am from KMSV, 23 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KMSV 251356Z AUTO 13007KT 10SM OVC024 10/M03 A3023 RMK AO2 SLP242 T01001033
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 October 10, 2022. 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, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Record of NTSB Conversation | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Investigative Photographs | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 4 | Release of Aircraft Wreckage, NTSB Form 6120.15, and NTSB Attempts to Complete Form | 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.