Cessna 172 N734SN

Summary

On 2 April 2017 at about 17:30 local time, a Cessna 172 registered N734SN was involved in an accident near Millbrook, New York, United States. 4 people were on board and one had minor injuries. The aircraft was substantially damaged. The NTSB has published a probable cause for this accident; it is quoted in full below.

Date

2 April 2017 at 17:30

Classification

Accident

Location

Millbrook, New York, United States

Nearest airport

Sky Acres (44N)

Coordinates

41.7108, -73.7406

Aircraft

Cessna 172

Registration

N734SN

Category

Airplane

Engines

1

Operator

Not recorded

Operating rule

Part 91: General Aviation

Purpose of flight

Personal

Phase of flight

Not recorded

Route

Schenectady → Millbrook

Aircraft damage

Substantial

Weather

VMC

Light

Day

NTSB number

GAA17CA219

1 person had minor injuries.

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.

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

Read the full NTSB narrative

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.

Quoted verbatim from the NTSB record.