Cessna 172P accident near Bennington, Vermont, October 25, 2009
On October 25, 2009 at about 11:10 pm local time, a Cessna 172P, registered N55479, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR pattern base) near Bennington, Vermont (William H. Morse State airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from terrain during a night approach. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s non-standard traffic pattern over higher terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 25, 2009 · about 11:10 pm local time
- Place
- Bennington, Vermont · William H. Morse State · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172P · all 172Ps on the register
- Registration
- N55479 · no longer on the register · serial 17275191
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot entered the traffic pattern at night and was observed flying in a right-hand traffic pattern to runway 13. The Airport/Facility Directory did not direct right-hand traffic for runway 13. Witnesses observed the pilot having difficulty landing the airplane; he was flying too high on final approach and performed at least two go-arounds. The airplane was last observed with its navigation lights illuminated on the base leg as the airplane impacted trees and terrain. Two witnesses stated that the engine was running at the time of impact. The wreckage came to rest on wooded terrain, at an elevation of about 1,082 feet, or about 250 feet above the airport's elevation. If the pilot had flown the same altitude on a left-hand pattern to runway 13, at the same point in the pattern where the accident occurred, the airplane would have cleared the terrain by about 300 feet. Examination of the wreckage revealed no evidence of preexisting mechanical anomalies. Inspection of the pilot’s logbook showed no evidence that he had previously flown approaches at the airport.
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
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during approach (VFR pattern base) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Dark › Contributed to outcome
- cause Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action selection › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 174 hours in all; 146 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: May 21, 2009
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 11,118 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 30, 2009; 67 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,400 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2J (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Sky Training LLC
The flight
- Departed from: 4N1 West Milford NJ at 9:30 pm
- Destination: 4N1 West Milford NJ
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 13, 3,704 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: from 250° at 4 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 10:54 pm from DDH, 1 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.