- Date
- July 1, 2020, 18:45 local (22:45 UTC)
- Place
- Meadville, PA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Taxi
- Aircraft
- N9127HCessna 172
- Defining event
- Taxi-to runway: Loss of control on ground
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- Investigation class
- Class 4 - Basic report with no Prelim publish
- NTSB office
- Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties
- FAA/FSDO
- FAA report
- 20200701008259A
- Case key
- 101526
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's distraction while taxiing, which resulted in a taxiway excursion.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that while taxing to the runway, he was programming his GPS unit for the flight. When he looked up, he realized the airplane was near the end of the taxiway. He applied the brakes and attempted to stop on the pavement but was unsuccessful. The airplane rolled into the grass and down an embankment and sustained substantial damage to the left wing. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9127H
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (M)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17265959
- Built
- 1975
- Airframe hours
- 6,021
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Moraine Flying Club Inc
- Registered owner
- Moraine Flying Club Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · March 1, 2020
- Departed
- GKJ · Meadville, PA
- Destination
- 3G9 · Butler, PA
- Airport
- GKJ · Port Meadville, runway 07, 5,001 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Stall warning system, ADS-B
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 86
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- BasicMed
- Last flight review
- May 21, 2019
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 1,162 total · 528 in this make and model · 1,073 as pilot in command · 25 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 350° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 79 °F, dew point 61 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.95 inHg
- Observed at
- GKJ
Docket · 3
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 9, 2020, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 4.5 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.