Cessna 172 accident near Rochester, New York, February 16, 2020
On February 16, 2020 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 1976 Cessna 172, registered N1126U, was substantially damaged in an accident during approach (VFR go-around) near Rochester, New York (Greater Rochester Intl 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
The pilot's failure to maintain airplane control during a go-around. Contributing to the accident was the pilot’s decision to take off after perceiving a rudder issue during taxi operations.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made November 2, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 16, 2020 · about 4:30 pm local time · cases in 2020
- Place
- Rochester, New York · Greater Rochester Intl · cases near this airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 M, built 1976 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N1126U · no longer on the register · serial 17266855
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot reported that, during his preflight inspection, he noted several anomalies. He added that the right rudder pedal was not functioning properly before the flight during taxi; however, he decided to go ahead with the flight. After takeoff, he reconsidered the flight and returned to the airport. While on approach to landing, the airplane was hard to control, so he chose to troubleshoot the control issue in the air and initiated a go-around. The airplane lifted off the runway and began to climb but then rapidly rolled right and then left and then impacted terrain. In addition, the pilot stated he lost directional control due to a rudder anomaly during a flight in the airplane several weeks earlier. A Federal Aviation Administration inspector who examined the airplane reported that the wings had sustained substantial damage. Postaccident examination of the rudder control system revealed no evidence of any preaccident mechanical failures or malfunctions 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
- Aircraft inspection event during prior to flight
- Loss of control in flight during approach (VFR go-around) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › (general) › Not attained/maintained
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- factor Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land
- Flight time: 3,307 hours in all; 250 in this make and model
- Last flight review: January 14, 2020
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 14,958 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, January 14, 2020; 58 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,299 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 -E2D (piston); 6,454 hours total
- Operator: Schubert Brothers Aviation Inc
The flight
- Departed from: ROC Rochester NY at 3:40 pm
- Destination: ROC Rochester NY
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 25, 4,000 ft by 100 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 250° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: overcast at 1,500 ft
- Temperature: 36°F (2°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.04 inHg
- Observation at 4:52 pm from ROC, 1 miles away
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 May 28, 2020. 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, 10 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Logbook Excerpt | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 3 | Maintenance Record Excerpt | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 4 | FAA Inspectors Examination Statements | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Other NTSB records under N1126U the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Connections how this case links to the rest of the register
- N1126U: not on the register today · the record of its deregistration
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk 20,691 registered today · the model family and its accident history
- Cessna 72,677 aircraft on the register
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 -E2D 259 aircraft carry this series today · as the NTSB recorded it
- Frederick Douglass/Greater Rochester International · nearest airport
- Accidents and incidents in New York 1,964 since 1982 · 249 in the last ten years
- New York 6,658 aircraft registered
- Other NTSB records under N1126U 1 records · the number may have belonged to another aircraft at the time
The whole map of how records connect · these connections as data: /graph/accident/ERA20CA102.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.