Cessna 172H accident near Corry, Pennsylvania, August 26, 2005
On August 26, 2005 at about 7:30 pm local time, a Cessna 172H, registered N3946R, was substantially damaged in an accident near Corry, Pennsylvania (Corry-Lawrence Airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 1 person was killed and 2 people were seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain airspeed, which resulted in an inadvertent stall and collision with terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 26, 2005 · about 7:30 pm local time
- Place
- Corry, Pennsylvania · Corry-Lawrence Airport · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 1 person was killed and 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172H · all 172Hs on the register
- Registration
- N3946R · no longer on the register · serial 17255446
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot stated that the airplane yawed when he added power on final approach to the runway. The wings rocked, the controls became unresponsive, and the airplane "stalled." Witnesses reported that the airplane approached the runway "low and slow," and that the wings "rocked." The right wing then dipped, the airplane "curved" to its right, and then descended from view. The pilot and a back seat passenger survived the accident, but the front seat passenger was fatally injured. Emergency workers reported that the passenger's seat belt was not fastened. Examination of the airplane revealed no mechanical anomalies. A review of pilot records revealed that he had accumulated 93 total hours of flight experience.
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
Pilot
- Certificate: private
- Ratings: single-engine land
- Flight time: 93 hours in all
- Last flight review: June 1, 2005
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: serious injuries
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 5,464 hours
- Last inspection: 100-hour inspection, July 1, 2005
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300-D (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: 8G2 Corry PA
- Destination: 8G2 Corry PA
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 14, 4,100 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 200° at 5 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 8,000 ft
- Temperature: 79°F (26°C), dew point 57°F (14°C)
- Altimeter: 30.02 inHg
- Observation at 6:58 pm from JHW, 23 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 1 | 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.
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.