Cessna 172M accident near Watertown, Connecticut, September 9, 2014
On September 9, 2014 at about 12:25 pm local time, a 1972 Cessna 172M, registered N20469, was substantially damaged in an accident during initial climb near Watertown, Connecticut (Waterbury airport). 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 decision to takeoff from a field which resulted in a collision with trees and the ground. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's failure to correctly identify the destination airport and runway, which resulted in an off-airport landing in the field.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- September 9, 2014 · about 12:25 pm local time
- Place
- Watertown, Connecticut · Waterbury · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172M, built 1972 · all 172Ms on the register
- Registration
- N20469 · no longer on the register · serial 17261312
- 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 utilizing an iPad for navigation, and mistakenly landed in a field rather than his intended destination, an airport with a turf runway. After landing, he taxied the airplane to a corner of the field and commenced a takeoff roll, estimating the available takeoff distance to be about 600 feet. Just after takeoff, the left wing struck a tree and the airplane subsequently impacted the ground, resulting in substantial damage to the left wing and engine firewall. The pilot reported no mechanical malfunctions or abnormalities with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation.
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
- Preflight or dispatch event during prior to flight
- Controlled flight into terrain or object (CFIT) during initial climb defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during uncontrolled descent
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Identification/recognition › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Task performance › Planning/preparation › Flight planning/navigation › Pilot
- Environmental issues › Physical environment › Object/animal/substance › Tree(s) › Contributed to outcome
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 960 hours in all; 800 in this make and model; 42 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 886 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: September 12, 2012
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: minor injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 8,853 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 16, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320-D2G (piston); 1,500 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: DXR Danbury CT at 12:00 pm
- Destination: N41 Waterbury CT
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: dawn
- Wind: from 090° at 6 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 4,500 ft; scat at 3,500 ft
- Temperature: 61°F (16°C), dew point 52°F (11°C)
- Altimeter: 30.31 inHg
- Observation at 1:45 pm from KOXC, 8 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.