Piper PA-24-250 accident near Hartleton, Pennsylvania, July 16, 1989
On July 16, 1989 at about 3:58 pm local time, a Piper PA-24-250, registered N6206P, was destroyed in an accident near Hartleton, Pennsylvania. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT ALLOWED THE DESIGN STRESS LIMITS OF THE AIRCRAFT TO BE EXCEEDED AFTER ENCOUNTERING ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS. WEATHER WAS A RELATED FACTOR.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 16, 1989 · about 3:58 pm local time
- Place
- Hartleton, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-24-250 · all PA-24-250s on the register
- Registration
- N6206P · no longer on the register · serial 24-1308
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE ACFT WAS ON AN IFR FLT AT 7000 FT. AT 1158:29, THE PLT RPRTD, 'SIX TWO ZERO SIX PAPA SPINNING.' SUBSEQUENTLY, THE ACFT CRASHED ON WOODED TERRAIN NEAR THE TOP OF A MTN RIDGE. ACCORDING TO A WITNESS, WHO SAW THE ACFT BEFORE IT CRASHED, THERE WAS AN UNUSUAL CLOUD FORMATION IN THE AREA, AS WELL AS STRONG/GUSTY WINDS. HE SAID HE SAW THE ACFT DISAPPEAR BEHIND A WALL OF CLOUDS & REAPPEAR. HE INDICATED THE ACFT ENTERED A SPIN, THEN FLEW BACK UP ALMOST AS FAST AS IT CAME DOWN, BEFORE CRASHING. AN EXAM OF THE WRECKAGE REVEALED EVIDENCE THAT THE HORIZONTAL STABILIZERS SEPARATED IN FLT. THEY WERE FOUND AWAY FROM THE MAIN WRECKAGE & HAD FAILED IN A DOWNWARD DIRECTION FROM OVERLOAD. NO OTHER PREIMPACT PART FAILURE WAS EVIDENT. WEATHER RADAR DATA SHOWED THAT THE ACFT HAD CRASHED IN THE AREA OF A LEVEL 2 ECHO.
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; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 4,419 hours in all; 24 in this make and model; 32 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 4,361 as pilot in command; 1,519 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,344 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, September 26, 1988; 25 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,800 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-540-A1C5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: BFD Bradford PA at 3:17 pm
- Destination: N47 Pottstown PA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds; not recorded
- Temperature: 64°F (18°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:00 pm from SEG, 17 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 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.