Cessna 172P N54172

Summary

On 22 February 1998 at about 17:25 local time, a Cessna 172P registered N54172, operated by Montgomery Aviation Ltd., was involved in an accident near York, Pennsylvania, United States. One person was on board and one died. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

22 February 1998 at 17:25

Classification

Accident

Location

York, Pennsylvania, United States

Nearest airport

York (THV)

Coordinates

39.9190, -76.7091

Aircraft

Cessna 172P

Registration

N54172

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Montgomery Aviation Ltd.

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Gaithersburg → Unknown

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

NYC98FA066

1 person died.

The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed during final approach which resulted in an inadvertent stall/spin.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record. This site does not paraphrase or interpret it.

Read the full NTSB narrative

The airplane was on final approach to a 4,448 foot long runway with a displaced threshold of 740 feet. A passenger in a landing helicopter stated '...Our position was approx. 1/3 down the runway and as far left in the taxiway area finishing final approach. We were down to 15-20 ft. As I continued to observe the aircraft. The wings began to seesaw left and right, back and forth and then the airplane dropped sharply and I observed debris fly up from below the drop off at the end of the runway.' Another witnesses observed the airplane pitched down more than 60 degrees and in a turn. The airplane impacted a grass knoll about 300 feet from the displaced threshold of the runway, and came to rest inverted. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any pre-impact malfunctions of the airframe or engine.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.