- Date
- November 6, 2025, 15:49 local (20:49 UTC)
- Place
- Oxford, CT · Embankment adjacent to runway 36 at OXC
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N34LCCessna 172
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report January 9, 2026
- 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
- 20251106019969A
- Case key
- 201969
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 failure to compensate for gusty crosswind conditions, which resulted in a loss of control of the airplane and subsequent collision with terrain.
Findings · 3
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 the purpose of the flight was to practice traffic pattern operations with a simulated power off, 180-degree turning approach to land. While turning toward final approach, the pilot stated that the left wing began to rise as the result of a crosswind gust. The pilot was unable to stop the right turn, which continued until airplane impacted the ground. The airplane then became airborne again before it came to a rest in tall grass and bushes east of the runway. The airplane’s wings and fuselage sustained substantial damage. The pilot stated that there were no preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures of the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N34LC
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (N)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17272203
- Built
- 1979
- Airframe hours
- 5,294
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-A4M, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Last inspection
- Annual · October 23, 2025 · 23 hours before
- Departed
- DXR · Danbury, CT
- Destination
- DXR · Danbury, CT
- Airport
- OXC · Waterbury-Oxford, runway 36, 5,801 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Electronic flight bag or handheld device, Stall warning system, ADS-B, Auto-pilot
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
- 47
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- November 27, 2024
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 272 total · 161 in this make and model · 205 as pilot in command · 26.5 in the last 90 days · 11.8 in the last 30 days · 3.1 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- Variable at 6 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 45 °F, dew point 27 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.05 inHg
- Observed at
- OXC
- METAR
- METAR KOXC 062056Z VRB06G15KT 10SM SCT060 07/M03 A3005 RMK AO2 SLP191 T00721028 53019 $=
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 9, 2026, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 44.3 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.