Piper PA-22 accident near Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, April 18, 2025
On April 18, 2025 at about 2:35 pm local time, a 1951 Piper PA-22, registered N937A, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (Lehigh Valley International Ai 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 student pilot’s failure to maintain control of the airplane while landing in gusting crosswind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 18, 2025 · about 2:35 pm local time · cases in 2025
- Place
- Bethlehem, Pennsylvania · Lehigh Valley International Ai · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-22 NO SERIES, built 1951 · all PA-22s on the register
- Registration
- N937A · registry record · serial 22-241
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The student pilot reported that he intended to perform a solo flight and complete 3 takeoffs and landings at his home airport. Just prior to touchdown, the airplane encountered a left crosswind. After the airplane landed, a series of wind gusts pushed the airplane onto the nose landing gear and flipped the airplane over, which resulted in substantial damage to the vertical stabilizer and empennage. The pilot further stated that he recalled that the airport air traffic control tower controller reported a left crosswind during his takeoff clearance and during two other times before landing. The wind reported at the airport 6 minutes after the accident indicated a 30° left crosswind at 11 knots with gusts up to 19 knots. The pilot 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
- Nose over/nose down during landing (landing roll)
- Other weather encounter during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Loss of control on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Student/instructed pilot
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Crosswind › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Gusts › Effect on operation
Pilot
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 106 hours in all; 42 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 36 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: February 23, 2025
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,689.7 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 6, 2025; 4 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,939 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming Engines O-290-D (piston); 1,874 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 24, 7,599 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 210° at 11 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 10:42 am from ABE, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KABE 181442Z 21011G19KT 10SM CLR 18/03 A3021 RMK AO2 T01780033
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 2 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photo 1 – View of Airplane as Found (FAA)
Photo 2 – View of Damage to Empennage and Vertical Fin as Found (FAA)The NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on February 12, 2026. 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 | Video File Surveillance Camera Abe Arff Station | video | View Download |
| 3 | Memorandum for Record Student Pilot | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo Array | PDF, 2 pages · our copy | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N937A on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer and Colt 2,943 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,840 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming Engines O-290-D 46 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Lehigh Valley International · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in Pennsylvania 1,836 since 1982 · 234 in the last ten years
- Pennsylvania 6,195 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA25LA178.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.