# NTSB ERA25LA361: Cessna 172K, N78938, Salisbury, CT, September 20, 2025

- Type: NTSB accident investigation
- Classification: Accident · Minor injuries · Class 3 · Limited · Preliminary report
- Date: September 20, 2025, 17:33 local (21:33 UTC)
- Place: Salisbury, CT
- Coordinates: 41.927068, -73.387216 (estimated)
- Nearby events: https://openairdocs.org/map.md?lat=41.9271&lon=-73.3872&mi=10
- Phase of flight: [Landing](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-phases/550) (OpenAirDocs' grouping)
- Defining event: [Landing: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470)
- Highest injury: Minor injuries
- Injuries: 2 minor
- Status: Investigation ongoing
- Investigation class: Class 3
- NTSB office: Eastern Region Aviation
- Parties: FAA/FSDO
- NTSB case key (mKey): 201063
- NTSB case page: https://web.ntsb.gov/investigations/?ntsbnumber=ERA25LA361
- NTSB preliminary report (PDF, downloads): https://data.ntsb.gov/carol-repgen/api/Aviation/ReportMain/GenerateNewestReport/201063/pdf
- Page: https://openairdocs.org/ntsb/ERA25LA361

## Preliminary report

On September 20, 2025, about 1733 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172K, N78938, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Salisbury, Connecticut. The flight instructor and pilot receiving instruction sustained minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The flight instructor reported that after departing they climbed to 7,000 ft mean sea level (msl) and had been in cruise flight for about 10 minutes when the engine rpm dropped about 100 rpm. The flight instructor turned on the carburetor heat and the engine rpm continued to drop to about 1,400 rpm as the airplane began to descend. The engine then began to “pulsate” between 1,400 and 2,000 rpm until the airplane reached about 3,500 ft msl, when the engine then experienced a total loss of power. The flight instructor reported the issue to air traffic control as soon as he noticed the engine rpm issues and was informed that the closest airport was 20 miles away. The flight instructor noted that they were flying above a racetrack and decided that would be the safest place to conduct the forced landing. He completed the “rough running engine in flight” and “engine failure during flight” checklists but was unable to restore engine power. The flight instructor subsequently conducted a forced landing to the racetrack. The airplane impacted a guardrail, which resulted in substantial damage to the engine mounts and fuselage. The airplane was retained for further examination.

## Sequence of events

The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event best describes what happened.

- [Landing: Collision with terr/obj (non-CFIT) ](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470) (defining event); cases with it: [Cessna 172K, 33 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md?model=2072430), [All aircraft, 10,189 cases](https://openairdocs.org/ntsb-events/470/sequence.md)

## Aircraft

- Registration: [N78938](https://openairdocs.org/aircraft/N78938), registered now, S/N 17257794, built 1968 (OpenAirDocs)
- Reported make and model: CESSNA 172K
- Registry model: [Cessna 172K](https://openairdocs.org/model/cessna-172k) (registry code 2072430) (OpenAirDocs)
- Registry engine: [Lycoming 0-320 series](https://openairdocs.org/engine/lycoming-0-320-series) (registry code 41508, reciprocating) (OpenAirDocs)
- Category: Airplane
- Serial number: 17257794
- Year built: 1968
- Damage: Substantial damage
- Flight: Instructional, Part 91
- Operator: Wings Over Texas Holdings LLC
- Registered owner: Wings Over Texas Holdings LLC
- Airport: POU

## Weather

- Conditions: Visual (VMC), Day
- Wind: calm
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling: none
- Temperature: 70 °F, dew point 45 °F
- Altimeter: 30.27 inHg
- Observed at: KPOU, 29 nm away
- METAR: METAR KPOU 201653Z 00000KT 10SM CLR 21/07 A3027 RMK AO2 SLP248 T02060072

## 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 20250920012899A](https://openairdocs.org/incident/20250920012899A), Sep 20, 2025: Cessna 172K, Lakeville, CT, Substantial damage. During an IFR training session while at cruising altitude of 7,000 feet, the pilot in command (PIC), who is also a certified flight instructor (CFI), detected…

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.

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