Cessna T337 accident near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, July 14, 2009
On July 14, 2009 at about 5:20 pm local time, a Cessna T337, registered N21NC, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Rock Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to obtain the proper touchdown point during landing.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 14, 2009 · about 5:20 pm local time
- Place
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania · Rock Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna T337 D · all T337s on the register
- Registration
- N21NC · registry record · serial 337-1022
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While on the downwind leg of the airport traffic pattern for runway 17, the pilot was advised over the airport traffic frequency that winds were favoring runway 35. The pilot elected to continue the approach to runway 17, since he could "clearly see the wind sock," which was indicating a "direct crosswind." During the landing flare, the pilot encountered an "updraft" and landed approximately "half way" down the 3,500-foot- long runway. Upon touchdown, he retracted the wing flaps, applied "very strong" pressure on the brakes, and made "shallow turns" in an attempt to stop the airplane. The airplane ran off the end of the runway, and came to rest in a ditch approximately 10 to 20 feet beyond the runway edge. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector who examined the airplane after the accident reported that it sustained substantial damage to the engine firewall, and exhibited extensive wrinkling and buckling of the fuselage, particularly at the wing roots. The pilot reported no mechanical anomalies. The nearest weather reporting station, located 12 nautical miles northwest of the accident site, reported wind direction variable between 280 degrees and 350 degrees at 7 knots at the time of the accident. The pilot stated that he should have landed on runway 35, since there were "several hills" on the approach to runway 17, and "turbulence and updrafts made speed control and altitude control difficult." In addition, runway 17 had a "downhill slope."
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
What happened, in order
- Landing area overshoot during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Descent/approach/glide path › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane; rotorcraft: helicopter
- Flight time: 4,425 hours in all; 381 in this make and model
- Last flight review: July 4, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,456 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 14, 2008
- Maximum gross weight: 4,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine 1: Continental TSIO360-A (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Continental TSIO360 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 3M5 Brownsboro AL at 2:00 pm
- Destination: 9GI Pittsburgh PA
- Flight plan: VFR
- Runway 17, 3,550 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 5:15 pm from BTP, 12 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.