Cessna 172 accident near South Hero, Vermont, October 18, 2001
On October 18, 2001 at about 8:25 pm local time, a Cessna 172, registered N8255B, was destroyed in an accident near South Hero, Vermont (Allenholm airport). It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 3 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failure to maintain aircraft control during the takeoff. Factors in this accident were wind gusts and the airplane's high gross weight condition.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 18, 2001 · about 8:25 pm local time
- Place
- South Hero, Vermont · Allenholm · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 3 people were killed and 1 person was seriously injured.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172 · all 172s on the register
- Registration
- N8255B · registry record · serial 36055
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot and three passengers were departing runway 18, a 2,000-foot long, 40-foot wide, turf runway. According to a passenger, the airplane lifted off the ground about halfway down the runway, settled back onto the runway, and lifted off again near the end of the runway. The airplane began to climb and everything seemed normal until the airplane climbed above the trees and encountered a sudden wind gust. At that point, the airplane began to sink, the right wing lifted and the nose dropped. The airplane impacted the ground approximately 510 feet south, and 100 feet east of the extended center of the runway and a post crash fire ensued. Examination of the wreckage did not reveal any pre-impact malfunctions. Winds reported at an airport about 11 miles west-northwest of the accident site about 30 minutes prior to the accident, were from 280 degrees at 10 knots, with 15 knot gusts, variable from 250 to 310 degrees. An estimated weight and balance calculation revealed the accident flight was conducted at a weight near the airplane maximum gross weight.
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: 150 hours in all
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--no waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 6,950 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, April 17, 2001; 210 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,200 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Continental O-300A (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: VT26 South Hero VT at 8:25 pm
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 18, 2,000 ft by 40 ft
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 280° at 10 knots, gusting 15
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: clear
- Temperature: 48°F (9°C), dew point 21°F (-6°C)
- Altimeter: 30.13 inHg
- Observation at 7:53 pm from PLB, 10 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 | |||
| Passengers | 2 | 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.