# Accident 20260518007089A: Cessna 172S, Westchester Cou, NY, May 18, 2026

- Type: FAA accident report (Accident/Incident Data System), as reported
- Date: May 18, 2026, 01:30 local time
- Place: Westchester Cou, NY
- Airport: Westchester County
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Phase of flight: Takeoff: Climb Out
- Operating rules: Pilot school (Part 141)
- Operator: YOQS
- Location: 41.0670° N, 73.7076° W: From the FAA
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.0670&lon=-73.7076&mi=10
- Aircraft: N5114Z, registered now (https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N5114Z) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry model: Cessna 172S (registry code 2072439, https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172s) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: Lycoming IO-360-L2A (registry code 41597, https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-io-360-l2a) (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172S
- Reported engine: LYCOMING IO-360-L2A
- People aboard: 2
- Fatal injuries: 0
- Other injuries: 2
- Pilot certificates: Commercial pilot, flight instructor, private pilot, student
- Pilot flight hours: 664 total, 450 in this make and model, 212 in the last 90 days
- NTSB investigation: [NTSB ERA26LA209](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA209) (OpenAirDocs)
- FAA source: FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal (https://asip.faa.gov/)
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/incident/20260518007089A

## Narrative

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

CESSNA 172S, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^, SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE DURING A DUAL INSTRUCTIONAL FLIGHT DEPARTING WESTCHESTER COUNTY AIRPORT (HPN), WHITE PLAINS, NEW YORK. ACCORDING TO THE CERTIFICATED FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT PILOT, THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED DURING SOFT-FIELD TAKEOFF PRACTICE FROM RUNWAY 11, WITH THE STUDENT MANIPULATING THE FLIGHT CONTROLS. A REVIEW OF BOTH PILOTS’ WRITTEN STATEMENTS, INTERVIEW INFORMATION, AND AVAILABLE VIDEO FOOTAGE INDICATED THAT THE AIRPLANE BECAME AIRBORNE, ENTERED A NOSE-HIGH PITCH ATTITUDE, AERODYNAMIC STALLED, ROLLED LEFT, AND IMPACTED TERRAIN NEAR THE RUNWAY.

## 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 ERA26LA209](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA26LA209), May 18, 2026: Cessna 172S (N5114Z), Harrison, NY, substantial damage. Probable cause: The student pilot’s excessive pitch up attitude during takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and loss of control.

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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