Piper PA28R accident near Geneva, Ohio, June 9, 2017
On June 9, 2017 at about 2:00 pm local time, a 1974 Piper PA28R, registered N32088, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Geneva, Ohio (Germack airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain a proper landing flare in variable wind conditions, which resulted in the airplane landing on the left edge of the runway and impacting trees.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 9, 2017 · about 2:00 pm local time
- Place
- Geneva, Ohio · Germack · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA28R 200, built 1974 · all PA28Rs on the register
- Registration
- N32088 · no longer on the register · serial 28R-7535023
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the airplane reported that, during landing, she added full flaps, and the wind shifted. She applied full power, but the airplane settled, and the left main landing gear touched down on the left edge of the runway. Subsequently, the airplane impacted trees on the left side of the runway. The airplane sustained substantial damage to both wings. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot reported that the wind was light and variable and that she landed on runway 19. The automated weather observation system about 9 nautical miles from the accident site reported that, about the time of the accident, the wind was from 220° at 7 knots. Additional weather observations from the same site showed that, from 1 hour before the accident until 1 hour after the accident, the wind direction varied from south-southwest to west-northwest, and the speed varied from 6 to 8 knots.
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
- Loss of control in flight during landing defining event
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing
- Abnormal runway contact during landing
- Runway excursion during landing
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing
- Nose over/nose down during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Landing flare › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Wind › Sudden wind shift › Effect on operation
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,494 hours in all; 538 in this make and model; 9.1 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Last flight review: August 23, 2015
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,874.4 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, October 7, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 2,650 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-C1C (piston); 3,401 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 7D9 Geneva OH at 1:00 pm
- Destination: 7D9 Geneva OH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 19, 3,260 ft by 28 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 29.87 inHg
- Observation at 1:53 pm from KHZY, 9 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
2 documents, released by the NTSB on August 2, 2017. 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, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photo | PDF, 1 page | 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.