Piper P46T accident near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, March 8, 2002
On March 8, 2002 at about 1:45 pm local time, a Piper P46T, registered N117NU, was substantially damaged in an accident near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Northeast Philadelphia 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).
Preview. This page is not yet listed for search engines.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's improper recovery from a bounced landing. A factor was the pilot's failure to flare during initial touchdown.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 8, 2002 · about 1:45 pm local time
- Place
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · Northeast Philadelphia Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper P46T
- Registration
- N117NU · registry record · serial 4636138
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The airplane was landing on runway 06. The pilot reported that he was high and fast. He did not flare, and the airplane touched down, nose gear first, and bounced. The pilot added power for a go-around, and then aborted the go-around. The airplane then touched down again, veered off the left side of the runway, traveled through 380 feet of dirt and came to rest in a grassy area. Both main landing gear had collapsed to the right, and the nose landing gear was bent to the right. The left wing had wrinkles in the upper surface of the skin, as well as damage to the flap and aileron. All propeller blades had damage to the tips. Weather reported about the time of the accident included winds from 060 degrees at 5 knots, with clear skies.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 719 hours in all; 76 in this make and model; 65 in the last 90 days; 13 in the last 30 days; 614 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: December 14, 2001
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 958 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, February 18, 2002; 11 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 4,318 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Pratt & Whitney PT6A-34 (turboprop); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: BDR Bridgeport CT at 1:00 pm
- Destination: PNE Philadelphia PA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 06, 7,000 ft by 150 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 060° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 9 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 37°F (3°C)
- Altimeter: 30.47 inHg
- Observation at 1:54 pm from PNE
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The docket at the NTSB holds the report as a PDF and the investigation's photographs and documents. This site never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number NYC02LA069.