Cessna 177B accident near Honesdale, Pennsylvania, May 5, 2012
On May 5, 2012 at about 4:30 pm local time, a Cessna 177B, registered N34539, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Honesdale, Pennsylvania (Cherry Ridge 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 pitching the airplane to an excessive nose-up attitude during an aborted landing, which resulted in increased induced drag, diminished airspeed, and an aerodynamic stall/spin. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s use of a sedating antihistamine, which resulted in impaired mental and motor skills.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- May 5, 2012 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- Honesdale, Pennsylvania · Cherry Ridge Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 177B · all 177Bs on the register
- Registration
- N34539 · no longer on the register · serial 17701863
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot was operating on a temporary certificate in preparation for a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) competency checkride that was required as a result of a previous accident. (The previous accident occurred at the same airport in the same make and model of airplane but on the opposite runway. During that accident, the pilot delayed a decision to abort a long landing, and the airplane impacted trees beyond the end of the runway.) On the day of the accident, the pilot was observed attempting to land the airplane with a tailwind estimated by observers to be at least 10 knots. The airplane completed two traffic pattern circuits to low approaches that resulted in go-arounds. As the airplane approached the runway a third time, it appeared to be "unusually fast." It commenced a landing flare past the runway identification numbers, floated, touched down nosewheel first, then porpoised several times. Just past the windsock, which was about 1,200 feet from the runway’s departure end, engine power was applied, and the airplane's nose pitched up excessively high. The airplane then stalled at an estimated 200 to 300 feet above the runway and began a spin to the left, completing about 180 degrees of rotation before impacting the ground with power on. Postflight examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical malfunctions or failures that would have precluded normal operation. Postflight toxicology testing revealed that the pilot had ingested an over-the-counter sedating antihistamine in a quantity that exceeded the therapeutic dosage rate. The antihistamine, which is not FAA-approved for use during piloting, carries a warning that it may impair mental and motor skills.
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)
- Abnormal runway contact during landing (flare/touchdown)
- Miscellaneous/other during landing (aborted after touchdown)
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Airspeed › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Action › Incorrect action performance › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Physical › Impairment/incapacitation › OTC medication › Pilot
Pilot
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 300 hours in all; 100 in this make and model
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,033 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, February 21, 2012
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O&VO-360 SER (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: MSV Monticello NY
- Destination: N30 Honesdale PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,986 ft by 50 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 320° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 2,500 ft
- Temperature: 66°F (19°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 29.98 inHg
- Observation at 4:54 pm from AVP, 24 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.