Probable cause
The pilot’s exceedance of the wing’s critical angle of attack, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of aircraft control.
NTSB analysis
The airplane entered airspace under a Temporary Flight Restriction and was escorted to the accident airport by military aircraft. Pilots at the airport who witnessed the accident described the airplane’s approach as “long, slow, and unstable” and stated that the wings were “rocking.” They each described the airplane experiencing an aerodynamic stall where the airplane “dropped sharply” from about 50 feet above the runway surface.
The pilot reported to a Federal Aviation Administration inspector that there were no mechanical deficiencies with his airplane that would have precluded normal operations, and that a vibration he detected before ground contact was “the stalled wing.”
Text from the NTSB. Open the NTSB docket for ERA21LA351 for the full record.
Event
- Date
- Sep 6, 2021
- Type
- Accident
- Place
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Nearest airport
- Wings Fld (LOM)
- Highest injury
- None
- Weather
- Visual (VMC)
- Light
- Day
Piper PA-28-180
- N-number
- N5166S
- Category
- Airplane
- Year built
- 1970
- Damage
- Substantial
- Operating rule
- Part 91 (general aviation)
- Purpose of flight
- Personal
From the NTSB aviation accident database: N-registered aircraft, events since 2008, data through Oct 28, 2026. The file is published monthly, so the latest weeks are incomplete and recent records can change. The official source is the NTSB aviation investigation search. CheckAero is independent and not affiliated with the NTSB.