- Date
- April 2, 2017, 13:30 local (17:30 UTC)
- Place
- Millbrook, NY
- Injuries
- 1 minor, 3 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Approach
- Aircraft
- N734SNCessna 172
- Defining event
- Approach-VFR pattern final: Aerodynamic stall/spin
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report June 7, 2017
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20170402008409A
- Case key
- 94968
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 maintain adequate airspeed and his exceedance of the airplane’s critical angle of attack during landing with a crosswind, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and an off-runway landing.
Findings · 5
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, during approach and after fully extending the flaps, he felt the airplane was descending too quickly, so he added power. He added that "the aircraft was nearly down when [a] crosswind" drifted the airplane off the runway centerline. The pilot added more power, but the stall warning horn sounded, and the nose dropped. The airplane impacted a drainage pond to the left of the runway and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that during approach, after fully extending the flaps, he felt the airplane was descending too quickly, so he added power. He added that "the aircraft was nearly down when [a] crosswind" drifted the airplane off the runway centerline. The pilot added more power, but the stall warning horn sounded and the nose dropped down. The airplane impacted a drainage pond to the left of the runway and came to rest inverted. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the wings and empennage. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N734SN
- Reported as
- Cessna 172 (N)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17269078
- Engine
- Lycoming O-320-H2AD, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal; Standard, Utility
- Departed
- SCH · Schenectady, NY
- Destination
- 44N · Millbrook, NY
- Airport
- 44N · Sky Acres, runway 17, 3,830 × 60 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Angle of attack indicator, Stall warning system
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
- 17
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 2, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 12, 2016
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- Lap only
- Flight hours
- 63 total · 10 in this make and model · 6 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 150° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 54 °F, dew point 30 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.06 inHg
- Observed at
- KPOU, 8 nm away
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on May 8, 2017, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 1.0 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.