Piper PA-28R-200 accident near Pottstown, Pennsylvania, May 11, 1997
On May 11, 1997 at about 5:55 pm local time, a Piper PA-28R-200, registered N56639, suffered minor damage in an accident near Pottstown, Pennsylvania (Pottstown-Limerick airport). It was a personal 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).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
was the flight instructor's diverted attention while standing on the wing behind a turning propeller, which resulted in his departure from the wing, forward into the turning propeller.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 11, 1997 · about 5:55 pm local time
- Place
- Pottstown, Pennsylvania · Pottstown-Limerick · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-28R-200 · all PA-28R-200s on the register
- Registration
- N56639 · registry record · serial 74-35021
- Damage
- Minor damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot experienced difficulty in starting the engine of a Piper PA-28R-200. A Cessna 172 returning from a dual instructional flight pulled into the parking space to the left of the Piper. The flight instructor exited the Cessna 172, and assisted the pilot of the Piper in starting the engine. Once the engine was started, the flight instructor stood up on the right wing, and exited forward into the turning propeller, where he was fatally injured. At the time of occurrence, a motorized glider was taxiing in front of the Piper, passing from right to left. The wing of the glider had cleared the Piper by about 3 feet, and was approaching the Cessna which was parked further forward.
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: single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 504 hours in all; 13 in this make and model; 342 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,236 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, May 8, 1997; 2 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,900 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming IO-36-C1C (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Fare Share LTD
The flight
- Departed from: PTW
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 14 knots, gusting 19
- Visibility: 6 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 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.