# Accident 19970922027909A: Cessna 172P, Airville, PA, September 22, 1997

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: September 22, 1997, 11:30 local time
- Place: Airville, PA
- Damage: Destroyed
- Phase of flight: Descent
- Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
- Location: 39.8199° N, 76.3891° W: From the FAA, an estimate near the named town, within about 3 miles
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=39.8199&lon=-76.3891&mi=10
- Aircraft: N55221, a cancelled registration (https://openairdocs.org/deregistered/N55221-1998-04-01) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172P (registry code 2072436, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172p) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172P
- Reported engine: LYC O320D2J
- People aboard: 1
- Fatal injuries: 1
- Pilot flight hours: 29 total, 24 in this make and model, 14 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB IAD97FA122](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD97FA122) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/19970922027909A

## Narrative

As the FAA filed it, in capitals; the FAA replaces private details with ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^.

(.4)THIS WAS THE FIRST LEG OF THE STUDENT PILOT'S FIRST SOLO CROSS COUNTRY.  THE PILOT HAD RADIOED THE CONTROL TOWER THAT HE WAS 10 MILES SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT, AND HAD REQUESTED A VECTOR TO THE AIRPORT.  HE REPORTED THAT THE ELEVATOR FELT MUSHY, BUT THAT IT WAS NO BIG DEAL.  THERE WERE NO FURTHER TRANSMISSIONS FROM THE PILOT.  ACCORDING TO RADAR DATA, THE AIRPLANE'S LAST 28 MINUTES 11 SECONDS, CONSISTED OF NUMEROUS TURNS, AND SIGNIFICANT CHANGES OF DIRECTION.  THE AIRPLANE IMPACTED IN A CORN FIELD, ABOUT 22 MILES SOUTH OF THE AIRPORT.  ACCORDING TO THE PILOT'S LOG BOOK, HE HAD OVER 27 HOURS OF TOTAL FLIGHT EXPERIENCE, WHICH INCLUDED 1 HOUR OF SOLO FLIGHT EXPERIENCE.  THE LAST ENTRY IN HIS LOG BOOK WAS 1 MONTH PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT, WHEN HE LOGGED 3/10 HOURS OF DUAL.  HE ALSO LOGGED 6/10 HOURS OF SOLO FLIGHT EXPERIENCE 2 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE ACCIDENT.  EXAMINATION OF THE WRECKAGE DID NOT DISCLOSE ANY ANOMALIES WITH THE AIRPLANE OR THE ENGINE.

## The NTSB's investigation of this event (1)

From the NTSB's public API. Aircraft are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported serial number, make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

- [NTSB IAD97FA122](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/IAD97FA122), Sep 22, 1997: Cessna 172P (N55221), Airville, PA, destroyed, 1 fatal. Probable cause: The student pilot's failure to maintain adequate airspeed which resulted in a stall/mush and subsequent collision with terrain.

From the FAA Accident/Incident Data System. Reports are matched to registry aircraft by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry's history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model. For accidents, the NTSB's own investigation is the fuller record.

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