Cessna 425 accident near Dryden, New York, February 25, 1984
On February 25, 1984 at about 3:50 pm local time, a Cessna 425, registered N6886D, was destroyed in an accident near Dryden, New York (Tompkins County airport). It was a business flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). 2 people had minor injuries. The weather was instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- February 25, 1984 · about 3:50 pm local time
- Place
- Dryden, New York · Tompkins County · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people had minor injuries.
- Weather
- instrument conditions (cloud, fog or low visibility)
- Aircraft
- Cessna 425 · all 425s on the register
- Registration
- N6886D · registry record · serial 425-0152
- Damage
- Destroyed
- Flight
- Business flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PLT STATED THAT HE WAS UTILIZING THE AUTOPILOT AND FLT DIRECTOR TO EXECUTE THE ILS APPCH TO RWY 32. THE AUTOPILOT WAS TRACKING THE LOCALIZER WHILE THE PILOT CONTROLLED THE RATE OF DESCENT ALONG THE GLIDESLOPE WITH PITCH COMMAND WHEEL ON THE AUTOPILOT, USING THE COMMAND BARS AS A STEERING REFERENCE IN ADDITION TO THE RAW DATA GLIDESLOPE NEEDLE ON THE HSI. ALL SEEMED NORMAL, ACCORDING TO THE PILOT, UNTIL THE ACFT STRUCK TREES ABOUT 450 FEET ABOVE ARPT ELEVATION TWO MILES SHORT OF THE RWY AND CAME TO REST ON THE LOCALIZER CENTERLINE. A ZERO FT CEILING WITH AN EIGHTH MILE VSBY EXISTED AT THE ARPT. DURING THE INVSTGTN, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE 1000A IFCS WILL NOT PROVIDE VERTICAL STEERING COMMANDS AS OPERATED BY THE PLT, BUT IS DRIVEN BY THE PITCH WHEEL. THIS IS NOT SPECIFICALLY STATED IN THE POH. THE PLT HAD FLOWN EXTENSIVELY WITH THE 800 SERIES IFCS WHICH WILL PROVIDE THE EXPECTED STEERING COMMANDS. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE PRECLUDED A FUNCTIONAL TEST OF THE RAW DATA GLIDESLOPE NEEDLE.
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: multi-engine land; single-engine land; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 3,541 hours in all; 401 in this make and model; 3,478 as pilot in command
- Medical certificate: Class 3 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: left
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 572 hours
- Last inspection: approved inspection programme, January 12, 1984; 30 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 8,200 lb
- Seats: 7
- Landing gear: retractable
- Engine: P&W PT6A-112 (turboprop); 0 hours total
- Fire on the ground
The flight
- Departed from: ORH Worcester MA at 2:55 pm
- Destination: ITH Ithaca NY
- Flight plan: IFR
- Runway 32, 5,801 ft by 150 ft
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 350° at 12 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded
- Temperature: 34°F (1°C), dew point 34°F (1°C)
- Altimeter: 29.00 inHg
- Observation at 3:50 pm from ITH, 3 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.
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.