Piper PA-60 accident near Latrobe, Pennsylvania, June 2, 1988
On June 2, 1988 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Piper PA-60, registered N90DR, was substantially damaged in an accident near Latrobe, Pennsylvania (Westmoreland airport). It was a business 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).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
ACCIDENT WAS PILOT LOSS OF DIRECTIONAL CONTROL DURING LANDING.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 2, 1988 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Latrobe, Pennsylvania · Westmoreland · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-60 · all PA-60s on the register
- Registration
- N90DR · registry record · serial 62P090281
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT RPRTD THAT DRG AN APCH TO LAND, THE ACFT WAS TOO HIGH ON FINAL APCH, SO HE ELECTED TO GO AROUND & MAKE ANOTHER APCH TO LAND. HE RCVD TOWER APPROVAL FOR A LOW APCH, BUT WHEN HE TRIED TO APPLY POWER FOR THE GO-AROUND, THERE WAS A LACK OF ENG RESPONSE. HE RPRTD THE CONTROLS FELT MUSHY & HE BECAME CONCERNED ABOUT APPROACHING A STALL, BUT HE CHECKED HIS AIRSPEED & SAW THAT IT WAS ADEQUATE (110 KTS). HE RETRACTED THE FLAPS, BUT THE ACFT CONTD TO DESCEND. SUBSEQUENTLY, HE LANDED DIAGONALLY ON THE ARPT, ABOUT 30 DEG OFF THE RWY HEADING & THE ACFT WAS DAMAGED. HE RPRTD THE ACFT HAD JUST RCVD AN ANNUAL INSPN & THAT THE FUEL TANKS HAD BEEN TOTALLY FILLED BEFORE THE FLT. ALSO, HE RPRTD THAT DRG THE FLT, HE HAD CROSSFED FUEL FROM RIGHT TO LEFT. HOWEVER, NO REASON WAS FOUND FOR THE LACK OF ENG RESPONSE & ACFT PERFORMANCE.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,300 hours in all; 920 in this make and model; 62 in the last 90 days; 20 in the last 30 days; 2,300 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 6,000 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-A1A5 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PSB Philipsburg PA at 3:00 pm
- Destination: LBE
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 5, 7,001 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 70°F (21°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
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 NYC88LA153.