Piper PA22 accident near Berlin, New Hampshire, July 5, 2017
On July 5, 2017 at about 4:55 pm local time, a 1957 Piper PA22, registered N6936B, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Berlin, New Hampshire (Berlin Rgnl 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 pilot’s failure to maintain directional control during the landing roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 5, 2017 · about 4:55 pm local time
- Place
- Berlin, New Hampshire · Berlin Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA22 150, built 1957 · all PA22s on the register
- Registration
- N6936B · no longer on the register · serial 22-4215
- 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 tailwheel-equipped airplane reported that, during the landing roll, the airplane veered to the left off the runway. He added that he applied full power and "managed to maneuver the plane out of the ground loop but started taking out runway lights" as he maneuvered the airplane back toward the runway. The airplane impacted a runway light and two taxiway signs, damaging the main landing gear. The airplane then "flew over the runway," landed, and the main landing gear collapsed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage and left wing lift struts. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Loss of control on ground during landing defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Attempted remediation/recovery during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
- Landing gear collapse during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Runway/taxi/approach light › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,239 hours in all; 346 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 1,212 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: August 13, 2016
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (waiver time limited special)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,660 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 1, 2016
- Maximum gross weight: 2,000 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 SERIES (piston); 3,507 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 5B1 Island Pond VT at 3:55 pm
- Destination: BML Berlin NH
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 36, 5,200 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 43°F (6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.21 inHg
- Observation at 4:52 pm from KBML
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 30, 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, 10 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.
Other NTSB records under N6936B the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.