Piper PA46 accident near Elysburg, Pennsylvania, July 11, 2025
On July 11, 2025 at about 8:30 pm local time, a 1999 Piper PA46, registered N962WF, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Elysburg, Pennsylvania (Northumberland County 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
Failure of the engine mount which resulted in a collapse of the nose landing gear.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 11, 2025 · about 8:30 pm local time
- Place
- Elysburg, Pennsylvania · Northumberland County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA46 350P, built 1999 · all PA46s on the register
- Registration
- N962WF · registry record · serial 4636203
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, while on final approach, he confirmed that he had the flaps down and three green lights indicating the landing gear was down and locked. He touched down on the main landing gear and then the nose gear while using the rudder pedals to maintain directional control. Shortly after, the pilot noticed that the airplane was yawing to the left and the rudder pedals were no longer effective. The nose landing gear had collapsed, and the airplane departed the left side of the runway into a ditch, which resulted in substantial damage to the left wing. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed a broken engine mount where the nose landing gear retract cylinder was located. About 10 years before the accident, the airframe manufacturer issued a service bulletin requiring inspection of this area for cracking after each 100 hours of flight time. The bulletin described that, “Cracks may develop in the area of the nose gear actuator attach feet on the engine mount. This condition can occur when the nose landing gear is subjected to excessive loads due to hard landings, rough field operations, excessive speed turns, improper airplane towing (sudden, aggressive starts and stops), or other improper operations.” The mechanic who performed the last annual inspection stated that he had not completed the inspection specified by the service bulletin and that the airplane had accumulated 138 hours of flight time since the last compliance. Whether the nose landing gear collapse that occurred during the accident flight was the result of previous, undetected cracking or the landing on the accident flight was not determined.
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
- Landing gear collapse during landing defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Nose/tail gear attach section › Failure
Pilot
- Certificate: airline transport pilot, flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; multi-engine sea; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: helicopter; instructor: instrument airplane; instructor: instrument helicopter; instrument: airplane; instrument: helicopter; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 2,432 hours in all; 159 in this make and model; 34 in the last 90 days; 6 in the last 30 days; 2,206 as pilot in command; 51 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 11, 2024
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,422 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 1, 2025; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,340 lb
- Seats: 5
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming Engines TIO-540-AE2A (piston); 963 hours total
- Operator: Pad Aviation LLC
The flight
- Departed from: MQS Coatesville PA at 8:05 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 26, 3,297 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 190° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 88°F (31°C), dew point 68°F (20°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from SEG, 14 miles away
Weather report (METAR): KSEG 112053Z AUTO 19006KT 10SM CLR 31/20 A2998 RMK AO2 SLP148 T03060200 56009
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Photographs from the investigation 3 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – Left Wing Damage
Photograph 2 – Left Wing Damage
Photograph 3 – Broken Engine Mount Beside Nose Gear Retract CylinderThe 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
5 documents, released by the NTSB on November 20, 2025. 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 | Memorandum for Record A�� Telephone Interview, Mechanic | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Investigation Photographs | PDF, 4 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 4 | Maintenance Records | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 5 | Piper Service Bulletin | PDF, 7 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.