Cessna 172N accident near Rochester, New York, August 16, 2007
On August 16, 2007 at about 3:24 pm local time, a Cessna 172N, registered N738JE, was destroyed in an accident near Rochester, New York. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people were killed. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The pilot's failuire to maitain adequate airspeed during a turning maneuver which resulted in an inadvertent stall.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- August 16, 2007 · about 3:24 pm local time
- Place
- Rochester, New York · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were killed.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 172N · all 172Ns on the register
- Registration
- N738JE · no longer on the register · serial 17270007
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
The pilot/owner and pilot-rated passenger/owner took off to the south from the bay in the float-equipped Cessna 172N. The airplane climbed to a point just north of the south end of the bay, where it made a left turn to the east. As the airplane continued the turn to gain its on-course heading and to avoid rising terrain, it stalled and descended steeply to the ground. The airplane impacted in a field approximately 1/2 mile east of the takeoff path, and both occupants were killed. The payload consisted of the two occupants, approximately 100 pounds of luggage and supplies, and an undetermined quantity of fuel. Based on the passenger's medical history and autopsy results, the possibility of a distraction due to his impairment or incapacitation shortly after takeoff could not be ruled out. Approximately 33 months and 175 flight hours prior to the accident, the airplane's airspeed indicator was determined to read 20 knots high at all speeds. A dedicated search of maintenance records did not reveal any evidence that this airspeed indicator discrepancy was corrected. The recorded winds at an airport 7 miles southwest of the accident site were from 240 degrees at 9 knots, and the ambient conditions resulted in a density altitude of approximately 2,100 feet.
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; single-engine sea; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,140 hours in all; 230 in this make and model; 24 in the last 30 days
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (with waivers/limitations)
- Seat: left
- Injury: fatal
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,956.6 hours
- Last inspection: annual inspection, May 1, 2007; 5,012 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 2,300 lb
- Seats: 4
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A1D (piston); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: Rochester NY at 3:23 pm
- Destination: Arnprior
- Flight plan: VFR
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 240° at 9 knots
- Visibility: 10 statute miles
- Sky: scat at 10,000 ft
- Temperature: 82°F (28°C), dew point 64°F (18°C)
- Altimeter: 29.84 inHg
- Observation at 2:54 pm from ROC, 7 miles away
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.
Other NTSB records under N738JE 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.