Cessna 172N accident near Poughkeepsie, New York, April 24, 2010
On April 24, 2010 at about 3:45 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N5371D, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (flare/touchdown) near Poughkeepsie, New York (Dutchess County 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 maintain directional control on the landing rollout.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 24, 2010 · about 3:45 pm local time
- Place
- Poughkeepsie, New York · Dutchess County Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N 17272550 · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N5371D · no longer on the register · serial 17272550
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The private pilot was conducting touch-and-go landings and full-stop landings at his home airport. The airplane touched down on the runway and started to veer left on the landing rollout. No crosswinds were present. The pilot stated, "I let the plane follow the path to the left, not wanting to over control it and having it tilt sideways or nose first into the grass. It struck the 3,000 foot sign on the side of the runway as it exited the runway, rolled out on the grass and came to a stop." The pilot indicated that he lost directional control of the airplane. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that the left horizontal stabilizer received structural damage; no anomalies were noted with the brakes or steering systems of the airplane.
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
- Loss of control on ground during landing (flare/touchdown) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Lack of action › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Sign/marker › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 243 hours in all; 235 in this make and model; 60 in the last 90 days; 36 in the last 30 days; 148 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 25, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 10,270 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, March 9, 2010; 61 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-H2AD (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: POU Poughkeepsie NY at 3:40 pm
- Destination: POU Poughkeepsie NY
- Runway 06, 5,001 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 070° at 3 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 36°F (2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.05 inHg
- Observation at 3:53 pm from pou
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.
Other NTSB records under N5371D the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.