Piper PA-44-180T accident near Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania, February 20, 1982
On February 20, 1982, a Piper PA-44-180T, registered N8226A, was substantially damaged in an accident near Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania (Pocono Mountains Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 20, 1982
- Place
- Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania · Pocono Mountains Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 3 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-44-180T · all PA-44-180Ts on the register
- Registration
- N8226A · no longer on the register · serial 44-8107005
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
BEFORE TAKEOFF, THE PILOT GOT A WEATHER BRIEFING AND CALLED THE AIRPORT MANAGER AT THE DESTINATION. REPORTEDLY, THE DESTINATION AIRPORT WAS OPEN AND USABLE AT THAT TIME. IN FLIGHT, THE PILOT ASKED ATC ABOUT REPORTS OF ICING IN THE MT POCONO AREA AND GOT A NEGATIVE REPLY. WHILE DESCENDING TO THE DESTINATION, RIME ICE ACCUMULATED ON THE PLANE. DUE TO THE EXTRA WEIGHT, THE PILOT HELD 100 KTS ON FINAL APPROACH AND TOUCHED DOWN 100 TO 200 FT PAST THE THRESHOLD. THE 2600 FT RUNWAY APPEARED TO BE COVERED WITH ONLY LIGHT SNOW, BUT AS THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED, THE PILOT REALIZED THERE WAS POWDER SNOW OVER GLARE ICE. HE CONSIDERED, BUT REJECTED, A POSSIBLE GO-AROUND SINCE THERE WAS ICE ON THE PLANE AND TREES AT THE END OF THE RUNWAY. ALSO, IT WAS A DARK NIGHT AND THE PILOT WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH RISING TERRAIN NEAR THE AIRPORT. HE WAS UNABLE TO STOP ON THE RUNWAY. THE PLANE CONTINUED OFF THE END AND THE NOSEWHEEL HIT A DITCH AND FAILED. RUNWAY 05 ON THE AIRPORT WAS 4000 FT LONG, BUT WOULD HAVE REQUIRED A CIRCLING APPROACH.
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: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 921 hours in all; 50 in this make and model; 103 in the last 90 days; 600 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 250 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 40 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 3,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-360-E1AD (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Suffolk CO. Aircraft CO.
The flight
- Departed from: Middletown PA at 6:30 pm
- Destination: Wrightstown NJ
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 13, 2,600 ft by 60 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 080° at 50 knots
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,000 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 90°F (32°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 28.00 inHg
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 |
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.