Cessna 172 accident near Ghent, New York, June 8, 2011
On June 8, 2011 at about 9:55 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N8895B, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing near Ghent, New York (Kline Kill Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's delayed decision to abort the landing and execute a go-around.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- June 8, 2011 · about 9:55 pm local time · cases in 2011
- Place
- Ghent, New York · Kline Kill Airport · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured and 2 people had minor injuries; 1 other was unhurt.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N8895B · no longer on the register · serial 36595
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
According to the pilot, several minutes after takeoff the weather began to deteriorate and the sky turned black with convective activity reported in the area. He decided to divert to a nearby airport which had a 4,000-foot long by 75-foot wide turf runway. As the pilot approached the runway he could not determine where the approach end was located. The airplane approached the runway high and fast. The pilot did not think he would be able to stop the airplane before reaching the end of the runway, so he aborted the landing. One witness reported that the airplane aborted the landing with less than 1/4 of the runway's total length remaining. During the attempted climb out, the pilot thought that the engine felt less powerful but could not recall any specific abnormal indications. Without sufficient airspeed to climb above approaching trees, the pilot stalled the airplane into a pond, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing and empennage. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed no evidence of any preimpact mechanical malfunctions or failures.
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 in flight during landing defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during approach (VFR go-around)
- Landing area overshoot during landing
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Delayed action › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 80 hours in all; 80 in this make and model; 20 in the last 90 days; 10 in the last 30 days; 65 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 8, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: frt
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,300 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, December 2, 2010
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-300 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: PSF Pittsfield MA at 9:30 pm
- Destination: 0G7 Seneca Falls NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 01, 4,000 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 95°F (35°C), dew point 72°F (22°C)
- Altimeter: 29.79 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from 1B1, 5 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
8 documents, released by the NTSB on August 24, 2011. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot/operator Aircraft Accident Report, NTSB Form 6120.1 | PDF, 8 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Interview Summary | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Witness Interview Summary | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | FAA Inspector Interview Summary | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 5 | Weather Reports and Records | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 6 | Photo of Airplane Damage (Courtesy of FAA, 1 of 3) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 7 | Photo of Airplane Damage (Courtesy of FAA, 2 of 3) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 8 | Photo of Airplane Damage (Courtesy of FAA, 3 of 3) | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N8895B: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk 20,687 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,682 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Cont Motor O-300 6,625 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Kline Kill Airport · nearest airport
- Pittsfield Municipal · departed from
- Finger Lakes Regional · bound for
- Accidents and incidents in New York 1,964 since 1982 · 249 in the last ten years
- New York 6,663 aircraft registered
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA11CA331.json.
The bigger picture in Aviation Analytics: accidents over time since 1982, by model, by phase of flight and conditions, by place and on the map.
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 does not name anyone involved, its policy at this time. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.