Piper PA-23-250 accident near Hamburg, Pennsylvania, April 17, 1992
On April 17, 1992 at about 4:56 am local time, a Piper PA-23-250, registered N62774, was destroyed in an accident near Hamburg, Pennsylvania. It was a flight of an unrecorded kind under charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135). 4 people were killed. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
THE PILOT'S IMPROPER IN-FLIGHT DECISION, HIS FAILURE TO FOLLOW PROPER IFR PROCEDURES, AND AN IMPROPERLY PLANNED APPROACH, WHICH RESULTED IN AN INFLIGHT COLLISION WITH RISING TERRAIN DURING THE EXECUTION OF THE MISSED APPROACH PROCEDURE. FACTORS RELATED TO THE ACCIDENT WERE: THE PILOT'S IMPROPER PREFLIGHT PLANNING AND PREPARATION.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 12, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 17, 1992 · about 4:56 am local time · cases in 1992
- Place
- Hamburg, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 4 people were killed.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-23-250 · all PA-23-250s on the register
- Registration
- N62774 · registry record · serial 277754013
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Flight of an unrecorded kind · charter and air-taxi rules (Part 135)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT WAS AT A CRUISE ALTITUDE OF 4000 FT., EN ROUTE TO READING. HE WAS ISSUED A CLEARANCE TO EXECUTE THE ILS APPROACH TO RWY 36. AT THE TIME THE PLT RECEIVED THE CLEARANCE, HE WAS AT 4000 FT. AND 3 MILES FROM THE OUTER MARKER (LOM). THE LOM IS LOCATED 3.9 FROM THE END OF RUNWAY 36 AND THE GLIDESLOPE INTERCEPT ALTITUDE WAS 1636 FEET MSL. APPROXIMATELY 7 MINUTES AFTER ACCEPTING THE APPROACH CLEARANCE, THE PLT CONTACTED ATC AND STATED HE WAS EXECUTING THE 'MISSED APPROACH.' THE WRECKAGE WAS LOCATED IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, AT AN ELEVATION OF ABOUT 1,100 FT, APPROXIMATELY 13 MILES NORTH OF THE AIRPORT. BASED ON THE LAST RECORDED GROUNDSPEED OF 174 KNOTS, THE AIRPLANE WOULD HAVE TRAVELLED APPROXIMATELY 20 NM FROM THE TIME THE PLT RECEIVED THE APPROACH CLEARANCE (6.9 NM FROM THE AIRPORT) TO THE TIME HE BEGAN TO EXECUTE THE MISSED APPROACH.
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: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 2,397 hours in all; 2,205 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,284 hours
- Last inspection: continuous airworthiness programme, April 6, 1992; 3 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 5,200 lb
- Seats: 6
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
- Operator: Basco Flying Service, INC.
The flight
- Departed from: PHL Philadelphia PA at 4:15 am
- Destination: RDG Reading PA
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: night, dark
- Wind: from 060° at 5 knots
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 46°F (8°C), dew point 45°F (7°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 4:40 am from MDT, 44 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.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N62774 on the register today · the tail number may have moved to another aircraft since
- Piper PA-23 Apache and Aztec 1,315 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Piper 44,847 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming IO-540-C4B5 179 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Philadelphia International · departed from
- Reading Rgnl/Carl A Spaatz Field · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in Pennsylvania 1,834 since 1982 · 234 in the last ten years
- Pennsylvania 6,182 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/NYC92FA079.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.