Saturday, October 23, 2021

Piper PA-24-250 Comanche, N7371P: Accident occurred October 23, 2021 in Sligo, Clarion County, Pennsylvania

This is preliminary information, subject to change, and may contain errors. Any errors in this report will be corrected when the final report has been completed. 

The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entity:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 

JSNTG INC

Location: Sligo, Pennsylvania
Accident Number: ERA22LA028
Date and Time: October 23, 2021, 09:50 Local
Registration: N7371P
Aircraft: Piper PA-24-250
Injuries: 2 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General aviation - Personal

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Piper 
Registration: N7371P
Model/Series: PA-24-250 
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built:
Operator: On file 
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None
Operator Designator Code:

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: VMC 
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: Cleveland Center 
Observation Time: 09:45 Local
Distance from Accident Site: 
Temperature/Dew Point: 6°C /6°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: 3500 ft AGL 
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 10 knots / , 300°
Lowest Ceiling: Overcast / 3500 ft AGL
Visibility: 20 miles
Altimeter Setting: 30.02 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Youngstown, OH (YNG)
Destination: Hilton Head Island, SC (HXD)

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries:
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 2 None 
Latitude, Longitude: 41.1466,-79.466 (est)



SLIGO, Pennsylvania  – Crews are on the scene of a plane crash in the Sligo area.

The crash happened around 9:59 a.m. Saturday in the area of 3717 Huckleberry Ridge Road.

Sources say a single-engine plane crashed into a privately owned field for unknown reasons.

The Federal Aviation Administration has been notified of the crash, according to Clarion County 9-1-1.

Clarion-based State Police, Southern Clarion County Ambulance and fire departments from Sligo, Rimersburg, Callensburg, Clarion, and Perry Township were dispatched to the scene.

The crash is under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, an independent federal agency that investigates civilian transportation accidents.

3 comments:

  1. There was a reported comment that “the engine was out.” Note that all three propeller blades appear to be bent forward, not backward. Also note that the landing gear appears to be retracted which allowed the propeller to hit the ground upon landing. Propeller blades will bend forward when there is sufficient engine power rotating the propeller as the aircraft hits the ground.

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    Replies
    1. Yeah but the weird thing here is that there is clearly a ground scar forward of the prop with no apparent ground scars behind it. That and only one wing being damaged leads one to believe it crashed port wing down and spun around. Other than the port wing and nose damage, no other major physical damage can be seen here. Weird. Almost like a movie set crash where the prop masters just dropped a plane in the middle of the field - maybe that's literally what happened here in the crash sequence. But yes, the forward bent blades tell a lot about the engine producing power at impact with the terrain.

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    2. A better photo (linked below) shows the ground scar is at least two plane lengths long. Nobody should be surprised that dragging the prop while sliding backwards bends a prop forward.

      That whole line of thinking that the prop bent that far forward because there was significant power is simply not true in this case.

      Wider view of this airplane in the field:
      https://www.exploreclarion.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/IMG_0098-1024x682.jpg?ezimgfmt=ng:webp/ngcb2

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