# NTSB ERA25LA121: Cessna 172G, N1178F, Syracuse, NY, February 15, 2025 - Type: NTSB accident investigation - Classification: Accident · No injuries · Class 4 · Limited · Final report - Date: February 15, 2025, 08:30 local (13:30 UTC) - Place: Syracuse, NY · On AIrport - Coordinates: 43, -76 - Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=43.0000&lon=-76.0000&mi=10 - Phase of flight: [Taxi](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/250) (OpenAirDocs' grouping) - Defining event: [Taxi-to runway: Ground collision](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200) - Highest injury: No injuries - Injuries: 2 uninjured - 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 - NTSB case key (mKey): 199708 - NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA25LA121 - NTSB report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/199708/pdf - NTSB docket: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=199708 - Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25LA121 ## Probable cause The truck driver’s to see and avoid the airplane, which resulted in a collision. ## Findings NTSB's coded findings; those marked are part of the probable cause. - [Attention/monitoring: monitoring environment](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021545): Personnel issues › Psychological · Airport personnel (probable cause); cases with it: [Cessna 172G, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021545/cases.md?model=2072420), [All aircraft, 809 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-findings/02021545/cases.md) ## Sequence of events The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened. - [Taxi-to runway: Ground collision](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 172G, 2 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200/sequence.md?model=2072420), [All aircraft, 618 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/200/sequence.md) ## Analysis The flight instructor and the student pilot had just been cleared to taxi from the ramp to the active runway. According to the instructor, as soon as they began to roll forward, an airport operations truck struck the airplane from the right, which resulted in substantial damage to an engine mount. According to the truck driver, had stopped on the service road, short the ramp. He described that there was a large snowbank on his left that obscured his field of vision. As he drove forward, and passed the snowbank, he impacted the airplane. A review of air traffic control (ATC) communications revealed that the truck driver was clear of the active movement area when the accident occurred and was no longer talking to ATC. The impact occurred about 21 seconds after ATC cleared the airplane to taxi. ## Aircraft - Registration: [N1178F](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N1178F), registered now, S/N 17254773, built 1966 (OpenAirDocs) - Reported make and model: CESSNA 172G - Registry model: [Cessna 172G](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172g) (registry code 2072420) (OpenAirDocs) - Registry engine: [Continental 0-300 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/continental-0-300-series) (registry code 17022, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs) - Category: Airplane - Serial number: 17254773 - Year built: 1966 - Engines: Continental O-300-D 145 horsepower reciprocating - Damage: Substantial damage - Flight: Instructional, Part 91 - Airworthiness certificate: Standard, Normal - Airport: SYR, Syracuse Hancock Intl - Equipment: ADS-B ## Flight crew As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names. - Pilot; age 47; injuries: none; private, commercial, flight instructor; airplane ratings: single-engine land; instrument ratings: airplane; medical: class 2, without waivers/limitations; last flight review July 30, 2023; seat: right; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 1,257 total, 900 in this make and model, 1,200 as pilot in command, 83 in the last 90 days, 34 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours - Student pilot; age 17; injuries: none; student; medical: class 3, without waivers/limitations; seat: left; restraint: 3-point; flight hours: 22 total, 22 in this make and model, 5 in the last 90 days, 3 in the last 30 days, 0 in the last 24 hours ## Weather - Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day - Wind: 80° at 8 knots - Visibility: 10 statute miles - Lowest ceiling: 11,000 ft broken - Temperature: 21 °F, dew point 10 °F - Altimeter: 30.33 inHg - Observed at: KSYR - METAR: METAR KSYR 151354Z 08008KT 10SM SCT085 BKN110 OVC180 M06/M12 A3033 ## FAA reports on this event (1) The FAA's own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date (OpenAirDocs). - [Accident 20250215002269A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250215002269A), Feb 15, 2025: Cessna 172G, Syracuse, NY, Substantial damage. The driver of an airport operations vehicle was operating on a service road near taxiway n. the aircraft pilot received a taxi clearance from ATC and started… ## Docket (6 files) The files NTSB released with the investigation on August 11, 2025, on NTSB's docket system: https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket?ProjectID=199708. 72.0 MB in all. - Pilot/operator aircraft accident report, NTSB form 6120.1 (item 1, PDF, 9 pages, 8.1 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18811564&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=6120_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Truck driver and passenger statements (item 2, PDF, 2 pages, 26 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18811454&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Truck%20Driver%20and%20Passenger%20Written%20Statements-Rel.pdf - Police report excerpt (item 3, PDF, 1 page, 18 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18812014&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Police%20Report_Redacted-Rel.pdf - Investigation photos (item 4, PDF, 4 pages, 3 photos, 506 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18812024&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=Investigation%20Photos-Rel.pdf - Audio recording - syr control tower (item 5, WAV, 63.3 MB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18942513&FileExtension=wav&FileName=ATC%20-%20AUDIO%20-%2015FEB25%20-%20N1178F%20-%20SYR-Rel.wav - NTSB record of memo - syr tower communications (item 6, PDF, 1 page, 64 KB): https://data.ntsb.gov/Docket/Document/docBLOB?ID=18941925&FileExtension=pdf&FileName=NTSB%20Record%20of%20Memo%20-%20SYR%20Tower%20Communications-Rel.pdf 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. --- OpenAirDocs.org is an independent research project of [Contrail Labs](https://contraillabs.com/). It is not affiliated with the FAA or the NTSB. Source documents are U.S. government works in the public domain.