Piper PA-28-161 accident near Zelienople, Pennsylvania, April 6, 1999
On April 6, 1999 at about 10:45 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-161, registered N8133H, was substantially damaged in an accident near Zelienople, Pennsylvania (Zelienople 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 inadequate preflight planning to practice crosswind landings in wind that exceeded the airplane's demonstrated capability and his failure to maintain directional control. A factor in the accident was the high wind.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 6, 1999 · about 10:45 pm local time
- Place
- Zelienople, Pennsylvania · Zelienople · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-161 · all PA-28-161s on the register
- Registration
- N8133H · no longer on the register · serial 28-8016168
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot said he checked the weather and the local winds before departing to practice some 'crosswind flying.' The pilot stated that when the airplane climbed above the trees at the departure end of runway 35, 'I realized I had made a mistake...' The pilot returned for landing on runway 35. The airplane touched down, departed the right side of the runway, and struck a clump of small trees. Winds reported at the time of the accident were from 270 degrees at 20 knots gusting to 40 knots. The demonstrated crosswind component for the airplane, and placarded on the dash panel, was 17 knots. The pilot reported he was unaware of the limitation prior to the accident. The pilot reported 260 hours of total flight experience, 36 hours of which was in make and model.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 260 hours in all; 36 in this make and model; 4 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 260 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,771 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 21, 1998; 54 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D3G (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 8G7 at 10:30 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 35, 4,100 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 270° at 20 knots, gusting 40
- Visibility: 20 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 6,000 ft
- Temperature: 73°F (23°C), dew point 39°F (4°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:50 pm from BVI, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
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.