Shoemaker Ronald R PAZMANY PL-2 N289RS

Summary

On 6 May 2025 at about 20:30 local time, a Shoemaker Ronald R PAZMANY PL-2 registered N289RS was involved in an accident near Reading, Pennsylvania, United States. 2 people were on board and nobody was injured. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

6 May 2025 at 20:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Reading, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

Reading Rgnl/Carl A Spaatz Fld (RDG)

Coordinates

40.3795, -75.9616

Aircraft

Shoemaker Ronald R PAZMANY PL-2

Registration

N289RS

Category

Airplane

Year built

1977

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

ERA25LA224

Nobody was injured.

The pilot’s failure to maintain a proper descent rate, resulting in a hard landing short of the runway and collapse of the right main landing gear.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The pilot reported that he purchased the airplane earlier that day and completed a condition inspection that afternoon. The previous owner suggested performing a couple of touch-and-go landings and some air work in preparation for the planned flight to the airplane’s home base. The pilot stated that the takeoff, climb, crosswind, and downwind legs of the traffic pattern were normal. While on the base-to-final turn, the airplane was high, and when the pilot reduced engine power, it developed a high sink rate. He did not correct the sink rate with additional power, and the airplane landed short of the runway. It then bounced to the runway threshold, and the right main landing gear collapsed, resulting in substantial damage to the airplane’s right wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. The pilot further stated that since he had no prior flight experience with the airplane, additional flight planning and familiarization of the airplane’s flight characteristics prior to departure could have prevented the accident.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.