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ERA22LA072

2021-11-18 · Jonestown, Pennsylvania, United States · None · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport 8PA1

Current FAA registration · N47523

Make / Model
AERONCA 0-58B
Year of manufacture
1943 · 78 years old at event
Engine
CONT MOTOR C85 SERIES (85 hp)
Seats / Engines
2 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19980619
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S A5D667

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The pilot’s incorrect glide path and landing flare, which resulted in a collision with obstacles on final approach and a hard landing.

Factual narrative

The pilot reported that while on short final he slowed the airplane down and “flared too soon over the runway which caused a hard landing.” Subsequently, the main landing gear collapsed on the grass runway and the airplane skidded to a stop upright. The fuselage sustained substantial damage. Photographs of the accident site revealed that a small bird house attached to a metal pole was struck by the tail of the airplane. The pole was about 5 ft tall co-located with a white fence and was located about 35-40 ft prior to a yellow tire that marked the location of the grass runway’s threshold. The pilot reported that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database Retrieved: 2026-02-12

NTSB Findings

FAA avdata. C = Cause, F = Factor.

  • — Personnel issues-Task performance-Use of equip/info-Aircraft control-Pilot
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Landing flare-Incorrect use/operation
  • — Aircraft-Aircraft oper/perf/capability-Performance/control parameters-Descent/approach/glide path-Incorrect use/operation
  • — Environmental issues-Physical environment-Object/animal/substance-Pole-Effect on equipment

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2021_ERA22LA072.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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