Cessna 175 accident near Gilford, New Hampshire, November 10, 2022
On November 10, 2022 at about 9:15 pm local time, a 1958 Cessna 175, registered N7223M, was destroyed in an accident during approach (VFR pattern final) near Gilford, New Hampshire (Laconia Muni airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot’s decision to continue the approach to land in conditions where he was unable to see in front of the airplane due to sun glare, which resulted in in a collision a building.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- November 10, 2022 · about 9:15 pm local time
- Place
- Gilford, New Hampshire · Laconia Muni · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 175, built 1958 · all 175s on the register
- Registration
- N7223M · registry record · serial 55523
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot of the amphibious airplane reported that while on final approach to runway 26 he had trouble viewing the runway due to glare from the setting sun. He recalled making “…continuous efforts to block the sun glare.” He planned to make a gradual descent on the final approach to get the best forward view and peripheral views of the area. While descending, he further described that “the brightness inside the cockpit was difficult to observe instruments. I descended towards what I was convinced was the runway. I remember nothing else from that time forward.” The airplane subsequently struck the roof of a business, and the wreckage came to rest next to the building in the parking lot. The airplane’s fuselage, both wings, empennage, and floats were substantially damaged. The pilot reported that there were no preaccident mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane that would have precluded normal operation. Based on this information, the airplane likely struck the building after the pilot allowed the airplane to descend too low on the approach to the runway.
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
- Collision during takeoff/land during landing
- Loss of visual reference during approach (VFR pattern final) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Environmental issues › Conditions/weather/phenomena › Light condition › Glare › Decision related to condition
- Personnel issues › Action/decision › Info processing/decision › Decision making/judgment › Pilot
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land; single-engine sea
- Flight time: 2,100 hours in all; 1,400 in this make and model; 24 in the last 90 days; 1,900 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: June 10, 2022
- Medical certificate: BasicMed (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 3,386 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, July 5, 2022
- Maximum gross weight: 2,500 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1A (piston); 1,405 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 6ME6 East Sumner ME at 8:00 pm
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 230° at 10 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 68°F (20°C), dew point 28°F (-2°C)
- Altimeter: 30.12 inHg
- Observation at 2:56 pm from LCI, 1 miles away
Weather report (METAR): METAR KLCI 101956Z AUTO 23010KT 10SM CLR 20/M02 A3012 RMK AO2 SLP203 T02001022=
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
4 documents, released by the NTSB on June 7, 2023. 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, 7 pages | View Download |
| 2 | Pilot Statement | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Pilot Interview | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Investigative Photographs | 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.
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.