Cessna 140 accident near Latrobe, Pennsylvania, May 8, 1985
On May 8, 1985 at about 10:25 pm local time, a Cessna 140, registered N4034N, was substantially damaged in an accident near Latrobe, Pennsylvania (Westmoreland CO. 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 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
- May 8, 1985 · about 10:25 pm local time
- Place
- Latrobe, Pennsylvania · Westmoreland CO. · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 140 · all 140s on the register
- Registration
- N4034N · no longer on the register · serial 13492
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT REPORTED THAT DURING A LANDING, THE ACFT BEGAN TO SWERVE TO THE RIGHT. AT ABOUT THE TIME HE WAS REGAINING CONTROL, THE LEFT GEAR SPRING (STRUT), PN Q441138, FAILED. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT WENT OFF THE RWY & THE LEFT WING WAS DAMAGED. AN EXAM OF THE STRUT REVEALED THAT IT HAD FAILED WHERE A BOLT HOLE HAD BEEN DRILLED TO INSTALL A STEP. THERE WAS EVIDENCE OF A PRE-EXISTING CRACK THAT EXTENDED ABOUT 1 INCH ON EACH SIDE OF THE HOLE.
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: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 646 hours in all; 135 in this make and model; 21 in the last 90 days; 511 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 1 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,800 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 1,500 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental C-85-12 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 5,501 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 310° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:35 pm from LBE
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.