Amateur-built PIETENPOL AIR CAMPER accident near Franklin, Pennsylvania, September 21, 2017
On September 21, 2017 at about 6:10 pm local time, a 1986 amateur-built PIETENPOL AIR CAMPER, registered N40WH, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near Franklin, Pennsylvania (Venango 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 failure of the weld that connects the left main landing gear and the axle during the takeoff roll.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 21, 2017 · about 6:10 pm local time
- Place
- Franklin, Pennsylvania · Venango Rgnl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built PIETENPOL AIR CAMPER NO SERIES, built 1986
- Registration
- N40WH · registry record · serial 40
- 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, during the takeoff roll, the experimental tailwheel-equipped airplane's left wing dropped. The pilot corrected with right aileron input and back pressure on the control yoke. However, the airplane veered off the runway, bounced, and then impacted the runway in a right-wing-low attitude. Subsequently, the airplane nosed over. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the weld that connects the left main landing gear and the axle had failed. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right wing and empennage.
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 takeoff defining event
- Loss of control on ground during takeoff
- Runway excursion during takeoff
- Nose over/nose down during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft systems › Landing gear system › Main gear strut/axle/truck › Failure
- Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not specified
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 313 hours in all; 12 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 231 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: July 15, 2017
- Medical certificate: Sport Pilot (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rear
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 106.7 hours
- Last inspection: condition inspection, August 1, 2017
- Maximum gross weight: 1,325 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Chevrolet Corvair (piston); 107 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: FKL Franklin PA at 6:10 pm
- Destination: FKL Franklin PA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 21, 5,200 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 020° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 5:56 pm from KFKL
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 March 13, 2018. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Accident Photos (Courtesy of Pilot) | PDF, 2 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.