- Date
- July 7, 1996, 16:30 local (20:30 UTC)
- Place
- Pleasant Valley, NY
- Injuries
- 1 serious
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N7371TCessna 172A
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report December 10, 1996
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- FAA report
- 19960707016479A
- Case key
- 39212
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
failure of the pilot to maintain obstacle clearance from trees during a precautionary landing. His becoming lost was a related factor.
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 became lost and flew beyond the intended destination. He noticed the airplane was low on fuel, so he decided to make a precautionary landing in a field. During the landing roll, the airplane struck a tree.
Factual narrative
On July 7, 1996, about 1630 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172A, N7371T, was substantially damaged upon landing rollout in a field near Pleasant Valley, New York. The pilot, sole occupant, received serious injuries for the flight conducted under 14 CFR Part 91. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight. The departure point was Riverside Airport, Utica, New York. The destination was Oneonta Municipal Airport, Oneonta, New York.
According to the FAA, the pilot became lost and overflew the intended destination. The pilot noticed the airplane was low on fuel and he attempted a precautionary landing on a field. The airplane struck a tree during the landing roll.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N7371T
- Reported as
- Cessna 172A
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 46971
- Airframe hours
- 3,219
- Engine
- Continental O-300, 145 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Registered owner
- Robert E. Hazard
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · January 5, 1996
- Departed
- 4B2 · Utica, NY
- Destination
- N66 · Oneonta, NY
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
- 75
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, Valid Medical--w/ waivers/lim
- Seat
- Left
- Flight hours
- 250 total · 150 in this make and model · 4 in the last 90 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 210° at 9 knots
- Visibility
- 12 statute miles
- Lowest ceiling
- None
- Temperature
- 84 °F, dew point 68 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.00 inHg
- Observed at
- POU
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.
Other investigations on N7371T · 1
Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.