Cessna 182A accident near Hayfield Twnshp, Pennsylvania, July 8, 1997
On July 8, 1997 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cessna 182A, registered N4951D, was destroyed in an accident near Hayfield Twnshp, Pennsylvania. 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
The pilot's improper decision to attempt a takeoff from unsuitable terrain and failure to maintain airspeed. A factor in this accident was the gusty wind conditions.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 8, 1997 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Hayfield Twnshp, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 182A · all 182As on the register
- Registration
- N4951D · registry record · serial 51051
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that he had performed a precautionary landing to a corn field due to strong winds, heavy rain, and low fuel. He refueled the airplane and decided to continue to his destination. Initially, the pilot performed a partial takeoff, which was aborted, to obtain the conditions of the field. The pilot then elected to take off from the wet field, which was sloped uphill, and contained corn plants approximately 12 inches high. The pilot stated that during the takeoff, the airspeed was low, and that he overcorrected for gusty winds. The airplane's wing tip contacted the ground, the airplane ground looped and a postcrash fire ensued. Winds reported at a nearby airport were from 230 degrees at 15 knots gusting to 23 knots.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 871 hours in all; 400 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 622 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,051 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 3, 1996
- Maximum gross weight: 2,950 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O470 (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: NONE at 7:30 pm
- Destination: PA08 North East PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 15 knots, gusting 23
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 5,000 ft
- Temperature: 81°F (27°C), dew point 61°F (16°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from GKJ, 7 miles away
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.