- Date
- September 25, 2016, 11:45 local (15:45 UTC)
- Place
- Pittsfield, MA
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N73101Cessna 172
- Defining event
- Landing: Loss of control in flight
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report February 6, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20160925019619A
- Case key
- 94097
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 student pilot’s failure to maintain an appropriate descent rate and runway alignment during the landing flare, which resulted in the airplane touching down left of the runway and impacting a ditch.
Findings · 4
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 solo student pilot reported that on final, following a cross-country flight, "It was really bumpy", the airplane was at a "pretty steep angle", and the stall warning horn was "really going crazy". He further reported that he tried to avoid a stall, and lowered the nose of the airplane, and the airplane touched down to the left of the runway unexpectedly. The airplane continued to the left of the runway and impacted a ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The student pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The solo student pilot reported that on final, following a cross-country flight, "It was really bumpy", the airplane was at a "pretty steep angle", and the stall warning horn was "really going crazy". He further reported that he tried to avoid a stall, and lowered the nose of the airplane, and the airplane touched down to the left of the runway unexpectedly. The airplane continued to the left of the runway and impacted a ditch. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the fuselage. The student pilot reported no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N73101
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (M)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17267266
- Built
- 1976
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320 SERIES, 160 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Departed
- OXC · Oxford, CT
- Destination
- PSF · Pittsfield, MA
- Flight plan
- VFR
- Airport
- PSF · Pittsfield Muni, runway 26, 5,791 × 100 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Unknown
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
- Student pilot
- Age
- 39
- Injuries
- Serious
- Certificate
- Student
- Medical
- Class 3, Without waivers/limitations
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 42 total · 41 in this make and model
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 290° at 12 knots, gusting 22
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 55 °F, dew point 34 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.19 inHg
- Observed at
- PSF
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on January 18, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 744 KB 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.