NYC00LA101

Factual narrative

On March 1, 2000, about 0930 Eastern Standard Time, a Cessna 152, N67639, was substantially damaged while landing at the Hazelton Municipal Airport (HZL), Hazleton, Pennsylvania. The certificated private pilot was not injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight that originated at the Eastern West Virginia Regional/Shepherd Field, Martinsburg, West Virginia. The flight was conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. According to the pilot, while landing on Runway 10, a 4,898-foot long, 100-foot wide, asphalt runway, the airplane initially touched down on the right main landing gear first and the nose shifted unexpectedly to the left. The pilot centered the rudder and inputted left aileron in an attempt to get the left main landing gear on the ground; however, the airplane continued to drift to the left. The airplane departed the left side of the runway, and came to rest in a ditch. The winds reported at an airport 24 miles to the northeast of HZL, at 0954, were from 340 degrees at 4 knots. While landing on runway 10, the airplane initially touched down on the right main landing gear first and the nose shifted unexpectedly to the left. The pilot centered the rudder and inputted left aileron in an attempt to get the left main landing gear on the ground; however, the airplane continued to drift to the left. The airplane departed the left side of the runway, and came to rest in a ditch. Winds reported at a nearby airport were from 340 degrees at 4 knots. Source: NTSB Aviation Accident Database (Pre-2008 Archive) Retrieved: 2026-02-12