Cessna 172M accident near Titusville, PA
On August 20, 2011, a Cessna 172M (airplane) was involved in an accident near Titusville, PA. 2 people died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- August 20, 2011
- Place
- Titusville, PA
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M · Airplane
- Injuries
- 2 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 41.611°N, 79.754°W
- NTSB ID
- 20110820X13018
Official records · ERA11FA467
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
Air traffic control records
- Weather Transcript: Transcript (PDF), on ntsb.gov
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On August 20, 2011, at 0034 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 172M, N13126, collided with trees and terrain while descending, about 1/2 mile south of the Titusville Airport (6G1) Titusville, Pennsylvania. The airplane was registered to and operated by Titusville Aero club Inc, as a 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The airplane sustained structural damage and a post crash fire ensued. The certified flight instructor and student pilot were fatally injured. The flight originally departed 6G1 about 2100 on a visual flight rules (VFR) night cross country flight to Erie International Airport (ERI), Eire, Pennsylvania, arriving at 2306. The flight departed ERI at 2307, then arrived and departed Willoughby Lost Nation Municipal Airport (LNN), Willoughby, Ohio, at an undetermined time. The flight encountered instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) in the vicinity of 6G1; however, there was no contact with or request for assistance from air traffic control (ATC). The airplane was reported missing at 1008 on August 20, 2011, and located by ground personnel at 1115. According to a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector, the pilot's last contact with Erie Approach was at 2319, when the airplane was 22 nautical miles west of ERI. Local law enforcement personnel were dispatched at 0038 to 6G1 after citizens called the emergency operators and reported an airplane was circling the airport. An officer arrived at the airport at 0048. The officer could not hear and did not locate the airplane. He stated that a heavy fog was present and vi
Probable cause
The flight instructor's improper decision to attempt a visual descent into instrument meteorological conditions while approaching the destination airport, which resulted in an in-flight collision with trees and terrain.
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Browse: Pennsylvania · Cessna aircraft
Source: NTSB aviation accident database (US government, public domain). Findings may be preliminary or later revised by the NTSB. Not a complete global record.
