- Date
- September 28, 1995, 20:15 local (Sep 29, 1995, 00:15 UTC)
- Place
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Injuries
- 2 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N9497BCessna 172RG
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Status
- Completed · report November 8, 1995
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19950928030599A
- Case key
- 39054
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 obtain the proper touchdown point and excessive airspeed which resulted in an overrun and a subsequent collision with a trailer off the departure end of the runway.
Sequence of events
NTSB’s coding before 2008: each occurrence and phase of flight, and the causes and factors under it. The codes are defined in NTSB’s coding manual.
Analysis
The pilot was landing on runway 23, a 2534 foot long runway, which was not equipped with a visual approach slope indicator. The airplane touched down approximately 800 feet from the departure end of the runway then floated and touched down approximately 400 feet from the departure end of the runway. The pilot applied heavy braking; however, the airplane continued off the departure end of the runway down an embankment impacting a trailer and building. Additionally, the pilot stated, '...I landed fast...', and that there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures. The winds were reported as calm.
Factual narrative
On September 28, 1995, about 2015 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172RG, N9497B, was substantially damaged when it overran the runway during the landing, at the Allegheny County Airport, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The private pilot and passenger were not injured. The personal flight departed from Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania about 1815 destined for Pittsburgh. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed, and an instrument flight rules flight plan was filed for the flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91.
In the NTSB form 6120.1/2, the pilot stated:
...I landed a little fast....I applied hard brakes....I decided that I was going too slow to go around....I applied harder brakes....I realized I would not stop on the runway....After leaving the runway, I felt the plane slowly fall and flutter. We immediately hit a building....
Additionally, under the section of mechanical malfunction failure, the pilot checked "NO".
The FAA Inspector's statement stated:
...The Allegheny Tower reported the aircraft landed long on runway 23 near Alpha taxiway with approximately 800 feet remaining from the end of the runway....
...During an on site inspection of the accident we found initial tire marks at the north end of taxiway Alpha, then the aircraft floated before ground contact at approximately 400 feet of runway remaining, with skid marks continuing down the runway moving to the right of the center line of runway 23. Then leaving the runway when the aircraft fell down a 50 foot hill, landing with the nose striking a small out-building, the left wing striking a trailer, and the right wing striking the hillside on the right side....
According to the Airport Facility Directory runway 23 was a 2534 foot long runway, and there was no visual approach slope indicator. Additionally, at the time of the accident, the winds were reported as calm.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N9497B
- Reported as
- Cessna 172RG
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 172RG0838
- Airframe hours
- 1,573
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360-F1A6, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- William John Alexander
- Registered owner
- William John Alexander
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- 100 hour · July 22, 1995
- Departed
- MPO · Mount Pocono, PA
- Destination
- AGC · PA
- Flight plan
- IFR
- Airport
- AGC · Allegheny County, runway 23, 2,534 × 100 ft, asphalt
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
- 46
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Instrument ratings
- Airplane
- Medical
- Class 2, Valid Medical--no waivers/lim.
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 461 total · 370 in this make and model · 395 as pilot in command · 20 in the last 90 days · 4 in the last 30 days · 4 in the last 24 hours
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Night/dark
- Wind
- 100° at 4 knots
- Visibility
- 10 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 68 °F, dew point 48 °F
- Altimeter
- 30.00 inHg
- Observed at
- AGC
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.