Piper PA-28-140 accident near Allentown, Pennsylvania, November 9, 2022
On November 9, 2022 at about 11:25 am local time, a 1976 Piper PA-28-140, registered N8543E, was involved in an accident during standing (engine(s) operating) near Allentown, Pennsylvania (Lehigh Valley International Ai airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor’s decision to remove the nosewheel chock while the engine was still operating.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 9, 2022 · about 11:25 am local time
- Place
- Allentown, Pennsylvania · Lehigh Valley International Ai · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-140, built 1976 · all PA-28-140s on the register
- Registration
- N8543E · registry record · serial 28-7625140
- Damage
- Not recorded
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
After engine start, the student pilot and the flight instructor realized that the airplane’s nosewheel chock was still in place. The flight instructor decided to deplane to remove the chock without shutting down the engine. After removing the chock, the flight instructor moved to signal the student pilot that the chock was removed. In the process, the flight instructor made physical contact with the spinning propellor, resulting in serious injury. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with 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
- AC/prop/rotor contact w person during standing (engine(s) operating) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Instructor/check pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 31 hours in all; 31 in this make and model; 9 in the last 90 days; 2.1 in the last 30 days; 0 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Flight instructor
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 549.8 hours in all; 110.4 in this make and model; 185.2 in the last 90 days; 58.2 in the last 30 days; 460.1 as pilot in command; 194.3 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 3
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 13,975 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 5, 2022; 81 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E2A (piston); 7,865 hours total
- Operator: Ace Pilot Training INC
The flight
- Flight plan: VFR
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 25°F (-4°C)
- Altimeter: 30.65 inHg
- Observation at 3:51 pm from ABE
Weather report (METAR): KABE 091551Z 00000KT 10SM CLR 08/M04 A3065 RMK AO2 SLP382 T00831044
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on February 20, 2023. 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 | Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 - Pilot | PDF, 11 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 - Operator | PDF, 11 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.