Cessna 172L accident near New Castle, Pennsylvania, January 16, 2015
On January 16, 2015 at about 6:00 pm local time, a 1972 Cessna 172L, registered N7079Q, was substantially damaged in an accident during landing (landing roll) near New Castle, Pennsylvania (New Castle Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
Pilot's inadequate control of the airplane during the landing roll, which resulted in a runway excursion.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- January 16, 2015 · about 6:00 pm local time
- Place
- New Castle, Pennsylvania · New Castle Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172L H, built 1972 · all 172Ls on the register
- Registration
- N7079Q · no longer on the register · serial 17260379
- 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, he landed the airplane on the centerline of the runway and the airplane began to veer to the left. He applied right rudder pressure; however, the airplane continued to the left. It traveled off the left side of the runway and came to rest inverted in a ditch, which resulted in substantial damage to the fuselage and right wing. The pilot indicated that the left brake "locked up" during the accident sequence. A postaccident examination of the airplane revealed that there were no malfunctions or anomalies with the brake system that would have precluded normal operation prior to the accident.
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 on ground during landing (landing roll) defining event
- Runway excursion during landing (landing roll)
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Directional control › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane multi-engine; instructor: airplane single-engine; instructor: instrument airplane; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 7,474 hours in all; 3,529 in this make and model; 51 in the last 90 days; 16 in the last 30 days; 7,368 as pilot in command; 4,668 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 20, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,040 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 5, 2015
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming 0-320 SERIES (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: UCP New Castle PA at 3:20 pm
- Destination: UCP New Castle PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 23, 3,995 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 360° at 7 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 25°F (-4°C), dew point 16°F (-9°C)
- Altimeter: 30.15 inHg
- Observation at 9:56 pm from UPC
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on March 23, 2015. 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, 9 pages | View Download |
| 2 | FAA Statement | PDF, 3 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Weather Report | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Photo 1 - Airplane at Rest (Photo Courtesy of FAA) | 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.
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.