Cessna 177B accident near Honesdale, PA
On May 5, 2012, a Cessna 177B (airplane) was involved in an accident near Honesdale, PA. 1 person died. Damage to the aircraft: substantial.
- Date
- May 5, 2012
- Place
- Honesdale, PA
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177B · Airplane
- Injuries
- 1 fatal, 0 serious, 0 minor
- Damage
- Substantial
- Position
- 41.513°N, 75.250°W
- NTSB ID
- 20120505X53820
Official records · ERA12FA319
- Public docket: reports, statements and exhibits from the investigation
NTSB summary
HISTORY OF FLIGHT On May 5, 2012, about 1230 eastern daylight time, a Cessna 177B, N34539, was substantially damaged when it impacted the ground following the pilot's loss of airplane control during climb out from an aborted landing at Cherry Ridge Airport (N30), Honesdale, Pennsylvania. The certificated private pilot was fatally injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed. No flight plan was filed for the flight, which originated at Sullivan County International Airport (MSV), Monticello, New York. The personal flight was being conducted under the provisions of 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91. Several witnesses stated that the airplane completed three traffic pattern approaches to the 2,986-foot-long, 50-foot-wide runway 18. Two of the witnesses, a student pilot and a flight instructor, had just finished traffic pattern work to runway 36, and all of the witnesses who observed the windsock about the time of the accident stated that it indicated winds from the north or northwest. The flight instructor estimated wind velocity to be about 10 knots, and another witness stated that the wind sock was mostly "straight out." The witnesses also noted that the airplane completed the first two traffic pattern approaches to low approaches that resulted in go-arounds. During the second go-around, the flight instructor saw that when the airplane was about 200 feet above the runway, it was climbing at an "unusually high" angle of attack. The flight instructor further stated that as the airplane approached the runway a third time, it appeared to be "unusually fast." It comme
Probable cause
The pilot pitching the airplane to an excessive nose-up attitude during an aborted landing, which resulted in increased induced drag, diminished airspeed, and an aerodynamic stall/spin. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s use of a sedating antihistamine, which resulted in impaired mental and motor skills.
More accidents in PA
- Boeing B-737-300, Sep 8, 1994
- Boeing 757, Sep 11, 2001
- British Aerospace J-3101, May 21, 2000
- Bell UH-1N, May 29, 2008
- Beech A36, Jul 30, 1989
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.
