Piper PA-28-151 accident near Wilmington, Ohio, April 11, 1995
On April 11, 1995 at about 6:40 pm local time, a Piper PA-28-151, registered N32145, was substantially damaged in an accident near Wilmington, Ohio (Clinton County airport). It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The flight instructor's inadequate supervision of the student pilot during the approach, resulting in a loss of control and hard landing. The gusty wind condition was a factor.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 11, 1995 · about 6:40 pm local time
- Place
- Wilmington, Ohio · Clinton County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 4 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28-151 · all PA-28-151s on the register
- Registration
- N32145 · no longer on the register · serial 28-7515078
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE CERTIFIED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR (CFI), STUDENT PILOT (SP), AND TWO PASSENGERS, DEPARTED ON A LOCAL TRAINING FLIGHT IN THE 150 HORSE POWERED AIRPLANE. AT THE COMPLETION OF UPPER AIRWORK, THEY FLEW TO AN AIRPORT TO PRACTICE LANDINGS INTO THE WIND, BEFORE ATTEMPTING CROSS WIND LANDINGS AT THE DEPARTURE AIRPORT. THE SP FLEW THE FIRST APPROACH, AND ON SHORT FINAL TO RUNWAY 20, THE LEFT WING DROPPED. THE CFI TOOK OVER THE CONTROLS AT 8 TO 12 FEET. THE AIRPLANE LANDED HARD, THE MAIN LANDING GEAR SEPARATED, AND THE AIRPLANE GROUND LOOPED. THE SP HAD A TOTAL OF 20 HOURS OF FLIGHT TIME AND HAD NOT FLOWN IN THE PAST 90 DAYS. SHE HAD NO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IN THIS MAKE AND MODEL. THE AIRPLANE WAS CALCULATED TO BE 46 POUNDS OVER THE MAXIMUM GROSS WEIGHT DURING THE INITIAL TAKEOFF, AND 25 POUNDS UNDER THE MAXIMUM WEIGHT DURING THE ACCIDENT, WITH THE CENTER OF GRAVITY ABOUT 1 INCH FORWARD OF THE AFT LIMIT. THE CALCULATED DENSITY ALTITUDE WAS ABOUT 2,600 FEET. WINDS AT A NEARBY AIRPORT WERE REPORTED TO FROM 180 DEGREES AT 20 KNOTS, GUSTING TO 26.
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 multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 14,850 hours in all; 182 in this make and model; 6 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 10,490 as pilot in command; 5,339 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: rgt
The aircraft
- Last inspection: annual inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,325 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-E3D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: I-19 Xenia OH at 5:15 pm
- Destination: I-66
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 20, 3,500 ft by 65 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 180° at 20 knots, gusting 26
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 13,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 54°F (12°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 6:55 pm from FFO, 21 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 2 | |||
| Passengers | 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.
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.