Amateur-built A75N1 accident near Erwinna, Pennsylvania, June 2, 1989
On June 2, 1989 at about 8:00 pm local time, a amateur-built A75N1, registered N60812, was substantially damaged in an accident near Erwinna, Pennsylvania (Vansant airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
LOSS CONTROL AND COLLISION WITH TREES DUE TO FAILURE OF THE STUDENT PILOT TO COMPENSATE FOR THE WIND AND LACK OF SUPERVISION BY THE CFI.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 2, 1989 · about 8:00 pm local time
- Place
- Erwinna, Pennsylvania · Vansant · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Amateur-built A75N1
- Registration
- N60812 · registry record · serial 75-3783
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE STEARMAN PT-17 HAD LANDED AND WAS SLOWING DOWN TO CLEAR THE RUNWAY WHEN A GUST OF WIND LIFTED THE RIGHT WING OFF THE GROUND. THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT ATTEMPTED TO GAIN CONTROL BY ADDING POWER AND LEFT BRAKE BUT THE AIRCRAFT WENT OFF THE RUNWAY TO THE LEFT AND DOWN AN INCLINE INTO TREES. THE STU PLT WAS NOT INJURED BUT THE UPPER WING TRAPPED THE INSTRUCTOR PILOT UNTIL HELP ARRIVED.
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; instructor: glider; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: glider
- Flight time: 3,010 hours in all; 1,850 in this make and model; 115 in the last 90 days; 48 in the last 30 days; 2,860 as pilot in command; 705 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: frt
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,109 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 2, 1989; 28 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,717 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental W670-6A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 9N1 Erwinna PA at 7:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 3,058 ft by 120 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 15 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 3,000 ft
- Temperature: 84°F (29°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.
Other NTSB records under N60812 the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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 documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text 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 NYC89LA145.