Cessna 172N accident near Newburgh, New York, March 3, 2026
On March 3, 2026, a 1978 Cessna 172N, registered N1560E, was substantially damaged in an accident during enroute near Newburgh, New York. It was an instructional flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
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The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 4, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- March 3, 2026
- Place
- Newburgh, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N, built 1978 · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N1560E · registry record · serial 17271047
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On March 2, 2026, at 1910 eastern standard time, a Cessna 172N, N1560E, was substantially damaged when it was involved in an accident near Newberg, New York. The flight instructor and student pilot incurred minor injuries. The airplane was operated as a Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 instructional flight. The flight instructor reported that, after performing a touch-and-go landing at New York Stewart International Airport (SWF), the engine was not producing the normal rpm. When he leaned across the cockpit to view the engine gauges, he saw the oil pressure was indicating zero. He then declared an emergency with air traffic control and asked to return directly to the airport. The engine then began to run extremely rough before it lost total power. He took over the controls from the student pilot and determined that the airplane would not be able to reach the airport. He then chose to land in the Hudson River close to the western shore, at the area with the most lighting. The flight instructor subsequently ditched the airplane among broken patch ice and struck some submerged structures, which resulted in substantial damage to the airplane’s fuselage. The pilots extricated themselves from the airplane and were able to reach the shore. The airplane sank until the wings were awash, but remained largely afloat and was recovered the following day. The wreckage was retained for further examination.
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 engine power (total) during enroute defining event
- Ditching during landing
The aircraft
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Operator: American Airman INC
The flight
- Departed from: ISP Islip NY at 11:30 pm
Weather at the time
- Light: night
- Wind: at 4 knots
- Visibility: 7 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 28°F (-2°C), dew point 10°F (-12°C)
- Altimeter: 30.58 inHg
- Observation at 7:00 pm from KSWF
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The NTSB has not released the docket for this case yet. The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), is usually released when the investigation is nearly complete, and the list here is refreshed when it appears. Check at the NTSB.
About this page
Everything above comes from the NTSB's public accident database: the narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words, and the coded tables behind its report (pilot, aircraft, flight, weather, injuries, sequence of events) are written out in plain English. Pilots' ages, home towns and medical details are left out on purpose. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, the folder of records gathered during the investigation, shown as the NTSB released them (the NTSB redacts some personal details first) and listed under the NTSB's own titles. This site's own text never names pilots, passengers or anyone else involved. A preliminary report describes what is known soon after the event and can change; the final report, with the probable cause, usually follows one to two years later and this page is refreshed when it does. Case number ERA26LA134.