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ERA23LA055

2022-11-09 · Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States · Serious · 1 aircraft · Status: Completed

Airport ABE

Current FAA registration · N8543E

Make / Model
PIPER PA-28-140
Year of manufacture
1976 · 46 years old at event
Engine
LYCOMING 0-320 SERIES (180 hp)
Seats / Engines
4 seats · 1 engine
Last airworthiness date
19760216
ADS-B equipped
Yes — Mode-S ABB8FA

Source: FAA Aircraft Registry (releasable master file).

Aircraft involved

Probable cause & findings

The flight instructor’s decision to remove the nosewheel chock while the engine was still operating.

Factual narrative

After engine start, the student pilot and the flight instructor realized that the airplane’s nosewheel chock was still in place. The flight instructor decided to deplane to remove the chock without shutting down the engine. After removing the chock, the flight instructor moved to signal the student pilot that the chock was removed. In the process, the flight instructor made physical contact with the spinning propellor, resulting in serious injury. The flight instructor reported that there were no preaccident 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-Action/decision-Info processing/decision-Decision making/judgment-Instructor/check pilot

Verbatim from NTSB's published report. Source file NTSB_2022_ERA23LA055.txt. Findings + structured fields enriched from FAA avall.mdb. Full investigation docket on data.ntsb.gov ↗.

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