Piper 601P accident near New Castle, Pennsylvania, April 27, 1982
On April 27, 1982 at about 1:45 pm local time, a Piper 601P, registered N31EH, was substantially damaged in an accident near New Castle, Pennsylvania (New Castle Municipal airport). It was an executive or corporate flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 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
- April 27, 1982 · about 1:45 pm local time
- Place
- New Castle, Pennsylvania · New Castle Municipal · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper 601P
- Registration
- N31EH · registry record · serial 61-0360-112
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Executive or corporate flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
A WITNESS WHO OBSERVED THE ACCIDENT STATED THAT HE SAW N31EH ON A VERY CLOSE RIGHT BASE AT 150-200 FT ABOVE THE GROUND. THE AIRCRAFT WAS MOVING AT A RAPID RATE OF SPEED AND WAS IN A VERY STEEP RIGHT TURN. AS THE AIRCRAFT GOT CLOSER TO THE RUNWAY IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE RADIUS OF ITS STEEP TURN WOULD TAKE IT LEFT OF THE RUNWAY SO THE PILOT APPEARED TO STEEPEN HIS BANK WHICH RESULTED IN THE RIGHT WING TIP CONTACTING THE RUNWAY SURFACE.
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: airline transport pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 6,421 hours in all; 1,060 in this make and model; 64 in the last 90 days; 6,283 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,036 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 5 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-S1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: OSU Columbus OH at 8:55 am
- Destination: UCP New Castle
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 5, 4,010 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 16 knots
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 500 ft; not recorded
- Temperature: 100°F (38°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 1:50 pm from YNG, 18 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 3 |
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.