Cessna 172 accident near New Enterprise, Pennsylvania, August 30, 2015
On August 30, 2015 at about 4:30 pm local time, a 1961 Cessna 172, registered N8404X, was substantially damaged in an accident during takeoff near New Enterprise, Pennsylvania. 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 exceedance of the critical angle of attack during takeoff, which resulted in an aerodynamic stall and impact with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 30, 2015 · about 4:30 pm local time
- Place
- New Enterprise, Pennsylvania · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 C, built 1961 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N8404X · registry record · serial 17248904
- 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 after a "normal" landing, he performed a 180 degree turn at the end of the grass airstrip and started his takeoff roll. After accelerating to 65 miles per hour, he reported that the airplane became airborne at the crest of an incline, but about 20 feet above the ground the airplane began to "quickly lose airspeed." The stall warning horn sounded, the left wing dropped, and the airplane entered an aerodynamic stall. Subsequently, the airplane impacted terrain and collided with a fence at the end of the grass airstrip. The fuselage and both wings sustained substantial damage. The pilot stated there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures with the airplane 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
- Stall warn/stick-shaker/pusher during takeoff
- Aerodynamic stall/spin during takeoff
- Loss of control in flight during takeoff defining event
- Collision with terrain or object (not controlled flight into terrain) during takeoff
The NTSB's findings
- cause Personnel issues › Task performance › Use of equip/info › Aircraft control › Pilot
- cause Aircraft › Aircraft oper/perf/capability › Performance/control parameters › Angle of attack › Capability exceeded
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 498 hours in all; 104 in this make and model; 7 in the last 90 days; 3 in the last 30 days; 352 as pilot in command
- Last flight review: April 24, 2014
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: no injuries
Passenger
- Seat: rgt
- Injury: no injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 2,284.9 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, November 14, 2014
- Maximum gross weight: 2,250 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Cont Motor O-300 SER (piston); 2,285 hours total
- Operator: Housel LLC
The flight
- Departed from: 7G4 Newry PA at 3:50 pm
- Destination: None New Enterprise PA
- Flight plan: none
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 260° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: a few clouds at 3,300 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 63°F (17°C)
- Altimeter: 30.14 inHg
- Observation at 4:53 pm from KAOO, 12 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
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N8404X the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
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.