Piper PA-20-135 accident near Georgetown, Ohio, May 2, 2024
On May 2, 2024 at about 11:30 pm local time, a 1954 Piper PA-20-135, registered N8290C, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Georgetown, Ohio (Brown County airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
An inadvertent encounter with the rotor wash of a nearby hovering helicopter during landing, which resulted in a loss of control and a runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 2, 2024 · about 11:30 pm local time
- Place
- Georgetown, Ohio · Brown County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-20-135, built 1954 · all PA-20-135s on the register
- Registration
- N8290C · registry record · serial 20-1119
- 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 purpose of the flight was to return to his home airport and that there was a military helicopter and another small single engine airplane in the traffic pattern. While the pilot was landing, the military helicopter was in a hover on the ramp adjacent to the runway. The pilot reported that the airplane touched down normally and that he had positive control of the airplane during the initial landing rollout with all wheels on the ground. Once the airplane passed abeam the helicopter, the pilot described that the airplane “levitated” off the ground in a nose high attitude and began to turn to the right. The pilot attempted to regain control of the airplane, but it continued to the right and departed the runway surface. During the runway excursion, the airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The pilot reported there were no mechanical failures or anomalies with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Based on this information, it is likely that during the landing roll, the airplane encountered the rotor wash of the hovering military helicopter that was adjacent to the runway.
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
- Aircraft wake turb encounter during landing defining event
- Loss of control on ground during landing
- Runway excursion during landing
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Turbulence › Wake turbulence › Effect on equipment
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Lateral/bank control › Attain/maintain not possible
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 825 hours in all; 120 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 613 as pilot in command; 0 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 14, 2022
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,892 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, November 10, 2023; 6 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-290-D2 (piston); 2,892 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: TZR Columbus OH at 10:40 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 3,530 ft by 65 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: dusk
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 55°F (13°C)
- Altimeter: 29.93 inHg
- Observation at 7:35 pm from FGX, 21 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KFGX 022335Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 28/13 A2993 RMK AO2 T02810133=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on July 18, 2024. 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, 14 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot's Statement | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record - Pilot Correspondence | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 5 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA24LA212.