Cessna 172 accident near Stowe, Vermont, July 19, 1996
On July 19, 1996 at about 10:55 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N5091G, was destroyed in an accident near Stowe, Vermont (Morrisville airport). 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 instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
failure of the pilot to follow proper IFR procedures and to maintain proper terrain clearance (altitude) during an NDB approach. Factors related to the accident were: the pilot's lack of instrument experience, low ceiling, and mountainous terrain.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- July 19, 1996 · about 10:55 pm local time
- Place
- Stowe, Vermont · Morrisville
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 2 people were on board or involved.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N5091G · registry record · serial 17273540
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
While approaching from the southwest, the pilot was cleared for an NDB approach to the Morrisville Airport. To perform the approach, he was to proceed outbound (050 deg) from the initial approach fix (IAF), make a procedure turn at or above 4,000 ft within 10 nautical miles of the NDB, proceed inbound to the NDB on a course of 230 deg with a minimum altitude of 3,000 ft to the final approach fix (FAF), then fly a course of 223 deg for 2.4 miles to the airport with a minimum descent altitude of 2,000 ft. The pilot stated that he proceeded (outbound from the IAF) on a heading of 050 degrees for about two minutes, completed a procedure turn and took a heading of about 245 to 250 degrees to compensate for the wind conditions. He said he descended to 3000 ft, then 2500 ft after crossing the NDB. He said the needle swing seemed appropriate. However, he was off course. An FAA inspector reported that during the approach, a crosswind blew the airplane off-course to the east, which resulted in an impact with Elmore Mountain (southeast of the FAF). The pilot received his instrument rating on 4/13/96 and had accumulated 4.7 hrs of actual instrument time. The inspector stated that the pilot had made one ADF approach in non-mountainous terrain since the issuance of his instrument rating.
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; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 168 hours in all; 70 in this make and model; 8 in the last 90 days; 8 in the last 30 days; 90 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded
- Maximum gross weight: 2,150 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-320 (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: ISP Islip NY at 6:30 pm
- Destination: MVL VT
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 19, 3,701 ft by 75 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 330° at 20 knots, gusting 28
- Visibility: 2 statute miles
- Sky: broken clouds; not recorded
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 10:44 pm from MVL
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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.
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.