Cessna 172G accident near Syracuse, New York, February 15, 2025
On February 15, 2025 at about 1:30 pm local time, a 1966 Cessna 172G, registered N1178F, was substantially damaged in an accident during taxi (to runway) near Syracuse, New York (Syracuse Hancock Intl airport). It was an instructional 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 truck driver’s to see and avoid the airplane, which resulted in a collision.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 15, 2025 · about 1:30 pm local time
- Place
- Syracuse, New York · Syracuse Hancock Intl · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172G, built 1966 · all 172Gs on the register
- Registration
- N1178F · registry record · serial 17254773
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The flight instructor and the student pilot had just been cleared to taxi from the ramp to the active runway. According to the instructor, as soon as they began to roll forward, an airport operations truck struck the airplane from the right, which resulted in substantial damage to an engine mount. According to the truck driver, had stopped on the service road, short the ramp. He described that there was a large snowbank on his left that obscured his field of vision. As he drove forward, and passed the snowbank, he impacted the airplane. A review of air traffic control (ATC) communications revealed that the truck driver was clear of the active movement area when the accident occurred and was no longer talking to ATC. The impact occurred about 21 seconds after ATC cleared the airplane to taxi.
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
- Ground collision during taxi (to runway) defining event
The NTSB's findings
- Personnel issues › Psychological › Attention/monitoring › Monitoring environment › Airport personnel
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot, private
- Ratings: single-engine land; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,257 hours in all; 900 in this make and model; 83 in the last 90 days; 34 in the last 30 days; 1,200 as pilot in command; 733 on instruments
- Last flight review: July 30, 2023
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
Dual student
- Certificate: student
- Flight time: 22 hours in all; 22 in this make and model; 5 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (without waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Flight plan: none
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 080° at 8 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds at 11,000 ft; scat at 8,500 ft
- Temperature: 21°F (-6°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.33 inHg
- Observation at 8:54 am from KSYR
Weather report (METAR): METAR KSYR 151354Z 08008KT 10SM SCT085 BKN110 OVC180 M06/M12 A3033
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Photographs from the investigation 3 pictures from the NTSB's docket, as the NTSB released them
Photograph 1 – Front View of Airplane Damage
Photograph 2 – Damage to Airport Truck
Photograph 3 – Broken Airplane Engine MountThe NTSB's photographs with the NTSB's captions, at screen size. Open a picture to see it full size or to report one that should not be shown.
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
6 documents, released by the NTSB on August 11, 2025. 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 | Truck Driver and Passenger Statements | PDF, 2 pages | View Download |
| 3 | Police Report Excerpt | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
| 4 | Investigation Photos | PDF, 4 pages · our copy | View Download |
| 5 | Audio Recording - Syr Control Tower | audio | View Download |
| 6 | NTSB Record of Memo - Syr Tower Communications | 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.