Cessna 172N accident near Orleans, Vermont, March 10, 2012
On March 10, 2012 at about 3:00 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N738QF, was substantially damaged in an accident during maneuvering (low-alt flying) near Orleans, Vermont. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s failure to maintain clearance from a power line while conducting low-altitude flight.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 10, 2012 · about 3:00 pm local time
- Place
- Orleans, Vermont · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N738QF · registry record · serial 17270149
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that he was conducting a scenic flight when he descended to about 100 feet above ground level to observe the landscape below. The airplane struck a power line, resulting in substantial damage to the windscreen, vertical stabilizer, and left wing strut. The pilot landed the airplane uneventfully at a nearby airport. The pilot stated that there were no mechanical malfunctions or anomalies with 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
- Low altitude operation/event during maneuvering (low-alt flying) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Wire › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 152 hours in all; 147 in this make and model; 11 in the last 90 days; 2 in the last 30 days; 58 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: October 23, 2010
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,368 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, January 2, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Aviation Management Services INC
The flight
- Departed from: EFK Newport VT at 3:00 pm
- Destination: EFK Newport VT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 12°F (-11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.42 inHg
- Observation at 2:55 pm from EFK, 5 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.